Karin's Kitchen

This recipe was requested by facebook friends:

Dieter and I named it "digestion schnaps" because alcohol aids in dealing with fats at meals and the other ingredient does it also. Combined they do a good job;

All you need is a bottle of Vodka and "Swedish Bitters". That is a Traditional European Herbal Extract (14 herbs), it promotes regularity and healthy digestive function. You may find it in good Health Food Stores or you can order it online. It comes from "Nature Works". The directions on the package tells you to either take it pur from the spoon ( 1-2 tsp. daily) or add it to fruit juice or any other beverage. We found out that adding it to Vodka makes it a bitter Vodka, which has its appeaL to so many people. The direction says that no pregnant or nursing women should digest it - well, they are not supposed to have alcohol anyway. I take a little Vodka off the bottle to make room for the Swedish Bitters. It comes in several fluid ounces, I ordered the liter. It does not need refrigeration and last "forever"...The amount of Swedish Bitters is up to you, we like it strong, we add that extract to the Vodka until it looks almost like light coffee.

All you have to do first is google Swedish Bitters from Nature Works and look into it. We - and most of our guests we ever have - like that drink. A question often ask is: How did you come up with that recipe? It tastes similar to so many herb distilles we could buy in Germany. I just "put 2 and 2 together".... Cheers - or Prosit or Nastrovje!!!!!!

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Since we are dealing with Vodka, here is another favorite mixed by me:

L e m o n V o d k a

4 parts of Vodka 1 part of Lemon Juice 2 parts of Light Corn Sirup Cheers!!!!!!

Beverages and Home Cooking

This recipe was published once by Susan Brunson from Snohomish, WA. And I say: "Cheers!"

Boil 4 cups sugar, 10,5 cups of water and a vanilla bean (slit lengthwise) for 30 minutes. Dissolve coffee ( 6 tablespoons freeze-dried or 3 tablespoos Instant) in 1/2 cup boiling water; add to mix. Cool, add fifth of Vodka or Rum and let stand in covered jar. Remove bean. If you want a drink right away, add 2 oz. vanilla extract instead of the bean.

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Now we are talking health

For the following "Immune Builder" you need your mixer, also for the next recipe. Don't store some for the next day. It needs to be made fresh every day.

A handful of diced parsley one garlic clove 5 medium carrots without greens 3 stalks celery

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"Vegetable Express"

2 lettuce leaves 1 small wedge cabbage 4 carrots without greens 3 broccoli floweretts 1/2 apple - seeded

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Detoxification and rejuvenation

affords fasting one meal a week, one day a month, and fasting 3 days in a row. To get your much needed liquids you can dilute good fruit juices with clean water and you mix the items in each following line in your mixer with water each day - one line per day for the week (equal parts or vary the proportions):

carrot, beet, celery carrot, apple, celery carrot, cucumber, spinach, parsley, garlic carrot, beet, ginger, garlic apple, strawberry, mango apple, banana orange, carrot

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When you will read some or all of my recipes, you will think that some of those might be not so healthy according to all the latest rantings concerning fats and cholesterol. But think again. My husband overcame two kinds of cancer by strengthening his Immune System rather than enduring the harshest of treatments by eating the foods I cooked - good old fashioned nutrition. Besides his normal aging, he is as strong as he ever was.

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Introducing scanned images -

How to do those "Hhhmm-pieces"

This is hard to read - I hope it works for you

Karin's Sauerkraut - You will like this one!

When we lived in Florence, AZ, I had to bring it to almost every Potluck Dinner because our fellow campers were expecting it. I usually don't measure any ingredients, but it is easier for you when I give you the portions. At first the ingredients:

4 thin slices of Bacon - minced 4 tbsp. Brown Sugar 1 can of Sauerkraut ( 14,5 OZ or 411 gr) - well drained 1 cup Water 1 tbsp. Minced Garlic or 1 clove fresh Garlic 1/2 of a medium sized Apple - minced

Fry the Bacon in a medium -sized pot until crunchy. Add the Brown Sugar, stir it for a while and add the other ingredients. Stir and cover with a lid and let it cook on Low for an hour or more, depending on your preferences. Check it frequently, stir and add some water if necessary, so it would not burn. Buy enough cans, I think you will find that you need more next time. Multiply all ingredients according to the numbers of cans you need. For a potluck dinner I took at least 4 cans, depending on the number of participants. I hope you really like it.

Dried Fruit Cake

Are you familiar with the Fruit Cake Mix (preserved dried fruit) you can buy at Walmart or other Grocery Stores? I like to use those when I bake the following cake. But you can use up whatever you have on fruit, like dried cranberries, green and red preserved cherries, dried pineapple etc. Here is the recipe with the ingredients I use:

1 cup coursely chopped nuts of any kind or mixed 1/2 cup raisins (Golden or dark) 2 cups "Fruit Cake Mix" (Sunripe Fruit Products, Inc.,Plant City,FL 33563) 1/2 cup dried pineapple 1/2 cup RUM ----------------------------------------------------------------

2 cup All Purpose Flour 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder 3/4 cup granulated sugar ----------------------------------------------------------------

1/2 cup unsalted butter 1 teaspoon Vanille 3 eggs -beaten ----------------------------------------------------------------

Combine the nuts, fruits and the RUM in a bowl, cover, and let stand for about 12 hours, stirring it several times.

In a large bowl, combine the flower, sugar and baking powder. Add the fruit mixture and stir with your hands to coat evenly.

Heat the butter in the microwave for 30 seconds and add to the beaten eggs and Vanille. Fold this mixture into the batter with a rubber spatula. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan - 8x4x3 - (greased and lined with parchment paper). You had the oven preheated to 350 degr.F., and the cake will be ready in one hour or until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and peel off the parchment paper. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.

German "Fleischsalat"

For this recipe you need only 3 ingredients:

Bologna of any kind Miracle Whip Relish or Pickled Cucumbers

The sausage is cut up in mini strips, as small as possible, of about 1/2 inch length and the Pickled Cucumbers have to be minced also. I used Relish and I think the taste of it enhances the already spiced-up mayo taste of the Miracle Whip and is less work. You mix these 3 ingredients together - the amounts are up to you - you simply have to taste it in between or have to concider your diet plans.

I always make home-made bread ( per bread machine), but you can take any bread of your liking and spread the Fleischsalat generously on the slices. It is finger-licking good!

Potato Pancakes

Do you want the easiest and fastest method, without having your fingertips bleeding? Here it is:

4 white potatoes 4 large eggs 1,5 tsp. salt 1,5 tsp. onion powder 1 tbsp. flour olive oil

Wash the potatoes and make sure that no bad spots are left by cutting those out. Leave the skin on! That makes the meal more healthy and tasty. Put your Mixer on the table and proceed as follows: Put the contents of one egg into the mixer, take one potato and cut it into small pieces right into the mixer.Start the mixer on "Grate" for a couple of seconds, then go to "Blend" until the potatoes are ground. Empty the mixer content into a medium sized bowl. Do the same with the other eggs and potatoes. Put the salt and onion powder into the mush and mix it, then add the flower and mix it very good.

Heat up the pans on the stove and then add the olive oil. ( Note: if you add the olive oil before heating up the pans, the benefits of the oil will be destroyed). Take one dinner spoonful at a time of that dough into the pan and flatten slightly. Put the flames on medium heat and let it brown - the more oil you have in the pan, the more crispier the pancakes turn out. Flip them over to brown the other side, repeat, if you have to, until there are dark golden brown. They have to be eaten right away, while you are still baking because the crispness diminishes when you store them. The cook eats last.

If you think that 4 potatoes is too much, think again, the heavenly smell of the pancakes will draw all persons of your household to the table and probably the next door neighbors. That happened to me in our RV Resort, every camper passing by got one, and on that day there were exceptionally high number of persons just strolling by, asking: "What are you cooking??" By the way, the recipe given makes 32 pancakes. You don't need any other item to make it a meal, a fresh cup of coffee, maybe, and some fruit. If your diet plan allows it, you can put sugar on it. Enjoy!! The leftovers can be eaten cold.

Potato Salad

Since I never measure anything, it would be very hard for me to give you the exact amounts of ingredients. Please, don't be shy when it comes to the spices. You simply taste it in between and decide for yourself how much to take of each. Make the mixture extra spicy because the potatoes will absorb much of it.

The salad will be best to make when you cook the unpeeled potatoes the day you will use them and peel them when they are still warm. You slice the potatoes and add them to the mixture of the ingredients below and mix thoroughly with your well washed hands, in order not to break up the slices.

Cooked potatoes - peeled and sliced -----------------------------------

Miracle Whip Mustard from the bottle Green Onions - sliced Pickled cucumbers - any type you like - diced Apples, peeled, cored and diced Seasoned salt Celery salt Pepper Fresh parsley - or dried

If you like cooked eggs, you can garnish the dish with quarters of hard boiled eggs. Another possibility is garnishing with anchovis - or both of those together! Hhhhmmm!!

Lentils with Sweet'n Sour Bacon Sauce

Ingredients: 2 c of lentils.

4 thick slices of bacon

2 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

2 tbsp. sugar

1/4 c. vinegar

Bring about one gal of water to a boil, add a little salt and the lentils and let it cook on Low until the lentils are tender( at least 20 min.) or still have a little bite, according to your preference. If you think that you will have leftover lentils, don't despair. You can eat them cold mixed into a salad, you can add it to a stew or add it to bread dough. When the lentils are done and you are ready to eat, drain them in a sifter or colander.

To make the sauce, you dice the bacon, put it into a pan and let it brown while stirring it. Then you add the flour, stir and add 3 cups of cold tap water and stir with a whisker to let it thicken. Meanwhile add the vinegar and sugar and a little salt. Stir constantly until the sauce is fully done, It should have a thick consistency. Feel free to add a bit more of each spice according to your taste.

Arrange the lentils in the middle of the dish and spoon or pour the sauce over it. Be generous. The sugar can be substituted with a sweetener if you are a diabetic. You will not need a dessert, because it almost tastes like one. Maybe a green leaf salad makes the meal complete.

I learned this recipe from my mother and it is still a family favorite.