Dad's Little Lamb

It is such a great thing to communicate with people all over the world. My Dad used to say that in his day they used to gather around the radio to listen to the "radio shows". That was some entertainment that families looked forward to. My Dad would be 87 this year but has since passed on a few years ago. Funny the things that we cherish once a relative or best friend has passed on.
My Dad used to tell a story about "the old days" which was his younger years and I would have heard the stories about half a dozen times but never get tired of hearing them. One in particular was that he lived in Ioco, Anmore which is in the Southern Coast of BC and Ioco stood for Imperial Oil Company. My father's Dad, who worked at Imperial Oil, whom we called Papa, brought home a lamb one day that had been abandoned by its mother. My Dad and his family helped to keep the little lamb alive. When it got a bit bigger it used to take a dislike to the paper boy and when he would deliver the paper Dad said the little lamb would run after the boy and chase him down the street. I'm not sure if it was Dad's laughing at his own story or the story itself that amused me so much.

I can't really say why I just felt the need to blog about that but I think it is the time of year that brings out lots of emotions in people. When you have someone in your heart that you have lost the hurt just feels a little more strong. Maybe because this time of year we gather around more and enjoy our families more so we tend to miss the ones we love during these special times.

So ........ with that said I am going to change the subject and give you a recipe I found on the Kellogg's website for an interesting and extremely tasty casserole that uses Bran Flakes. I think Bran Flakes or Bran Buds are always in our cupboard as they are so versatile for muffins and lots of other recipes.

This is the time of year where you may get asked to bring a dish to a party and this would go with most meat or poultry dishes.



Oven Baked Rice and Green Beans Amandine


Ingredients:

500 ml or 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
125 ml or 1/2 cup diced onion
15 ml or 1 tbsp butter or margarine
5 ml or 1 tsp dried basil
4 ml or 3/4 tsp lemon pepper
250 ml or 1 cup brown rice (uncooked)
750 ml or 3 cups frozen or canned French-cut green beans
250 ml or 1 cup matchstick-cut carrots (or coarsely shredded)
375 ml or 1 1/2 cups All-Bran* Bran Flakes cereal
50 ml or 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted


Directions:

1. In medium saucepan, mix together broth, onion, butter, dried basil and lemon pepper. Bring to boil. Stir in rice and return to boil. Immediately pour into 2 L (8 cup) casserole coated with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Bake, covered, at 190ºC (375ºF) for 45 minutes. Top rice with green beans and carrots. Cover and bake for 10 minutes more or until vegetables are tender and most of the broth is absorbed.

3. Remove from oven. Let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Stir in cereal. Sprinkle top with almonds.

YIELD: 8 servings

PER SERVING:
170 Calories
5 g Protein
30 g Carbohydrate
4 g Fat
4 g Dietary Fibre

In keeping with good allergy practices, we remind you to be aware of allergens and to check labels on any packaged goods used. This recipe has been tested using Kellogg's* products. Results with other products may vary.

Julie's newest favorite quote:  (My best friend says I should frame it - so it could be looked at every day)


"Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile."

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