Gloria and Daniel team up

Daniel: So we all like to make memories you know, and tonight was one of those nights, today was the last day of deer season for shotgun, so I told Julia and Austin that I would like to take them with me. Wow, excitement was in the air, they could hardly wait. I told Austin that he needs to take a little nap before we go, so that is what he did. After an hour, I woke him from his nap and told him we’re ready to go. He was all smiles and ready to roll. Gloria helped get Julia and Austin get bundled up for the cold evening, with goodbye kisses to Mama we left the house.

Last but not least we had to wear orange which is required by law for shotgun season. Being dressed up in Daddy’s large orange vests had the children feeling quite important. We were on our way, all the three of us. “We are going to be hunting just beyond our field in the woods,” I informed them. We made our way down thru our newly seeded wheat field and into the woods, the brush was a little tall, so I carried Austin part of the way. We were nearing our tree stand when three deer took off down through the woods. “So we were almost on time,” I thought, a bit disappointed. “Maybe we will see some later,” I told the children. Soon we were carefully making our way up the tree stand and getting settled in; I was ready for a little break. First I went over some basic rules with the children and informed them that we have to hold very still. “OK,” they whispered.

We were sitting for a couple of minutes when Austin asked, “When are we going to have our snack?” They had peeled a couple of oranges for a snack. I told them we can eat it right now, so that’s what we did, dividing them among the three of us. Soon we had munched them down. “Now we can relax,” I thought. Austin’s mind was reeling by now. “Daddy,” he asked, “Can deer climb trees?” I smiled, “No,” I told him, “God did not design them to climb trees.”

“Can raccoons climb trees?” was the next question. “Yes, they can.” “Even this tree, right here?” he asked, pointing to a tree 10 feet in front of us. “Yes, they could climb that tree.” He seemed to be content with the answer.

“What sound is that?” he asked next. “It’s a bird, called a flicker,” I explained.

Next, I got my deer call out and grunted a little. “May I do that too?” asked Austin, full of ambition from his nap.

“Sure you can!” Soon Austin and Julia were both using the grunt too, much to their delight to be able to make a weird noise like that.

To our disappointment, we didn’t see any more deer by the time we had to start our 500-yard trek home. As we got back down out of the stand and I scooped up Austin again and with Julia following right behind me. We started to make our way through the brush again, taking a little different way out of the woods. We got stuck part of the way, so I picked up Julia with my other arm and plowed right through the brush. I was relieved to get back out in the field, so with our spirits lifted a little, we finished our trek and were home in a jiffy.

Mama greeted us at the door with wide open arms and a big, heartwarming smile. I smelled something delicious. “What have you been doing?” I asked. “Oh, I made something special,” she said. “What a sweetheart,” I thought to myself. I could hardly believe it when she said she made my favorite dish: apricot pie with an ice cream smoothie to go with it! So the three hungry hunters sat down and had a feast of a casserole, applesauce, pie and ice cream. It was exceptional. Mama shared some of her interesting afternoon while we were gone, which she can share a little with you now.

Gloria: In the meanwhile I was in the house, thankful for a hubby who brings home venison for our family. The bright gleam in Julia and Austin’s eyes as they left the house indeed portrayed their love for Daddy and time spent with him. It was 3 p.m. when they left.

I weighed my options: What really is the most important to have done by the time they return home? And, of course, my slogan still stood firm, “It’s all baby permitting, they come before work.” I attempted some Saturday cleaning that hadn’t been checked off the list yet; I didn’t feel too successful. Jesse’s nap had only been half long enough. Elijah still wasn’t feeling the best since he had been sick.

When we sat down as a family to enjoy the meal together, I knew it was worth the efforts. Nothing could beat the warmth of love we all felt as Daddy prayed a blessing on the food, thanking God for our family.

Here is our very simple ice cream recipe. The ingredients may also be placed in a blender with frozen milk cubes and blended together until smooth.

QUICK AND SCHLICK ICE CREAM

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup instant clear jel

1/2 teaspoons salt

2 to 3 cups cream 2 teaspoons vanilla

1 quart frozen, chopped

strawberries (optional) Whole milk

Stir the sugars, clear jel, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add cream, stir vigorously. Add vanilla and several cups milk. Pour into a 6 quart ice cream freezer. Add milk until freezer is 3 inches close to being filled. Freeze with ice cream freezer.

We like dividing the recipe into small batches and making it in a blender by using frozen milk cubes to freeze it. It then has a consistency similar to shakes or smoothies.We prefer omitting the white sugar and replacing it with 3/4 cup maple syrup and 1 teaspoon stevia powder. Readers can write Gloria Yoder at 10510 E. 350th Ave., Flat Rock, IL., 62427 Tribune News Service

Shrimp, feta cheese, tomato and garlic blend together giving this 10-minute dish the tangy flavors of Greece.

Most of the ingredients for this meal can be kept on hand. It’s perfect for evenings when you want to make a fresh meal and you haven’t had time to go to the market. I like to keep peeled and deveined shrimp in the freezer. They defrost quickly placed in a bowl with running water in the sink. Frozen chopped onion is another convenient ingredient I keep in the freezer. Tomatoes, garlic and celery are staples in my house. Any type of cheese you have on hand can be substituted for the feta cheese.

We usually think of celery as a vegetable to be eaten raw. It has a mild, nutty flavor when cooked.

Helpful hints:

■ Crumbled feta cheese can be found in the dairy section of the supermarket.

Countdown:

■ Make celery and rice. ■ Make shrimp.

Shopping list:

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for tonight’s Dinner in Minutes.

To buy: 1 package frozen chopped onion, 1 large tomato, 1 bunch celery, 1 lemon, 1 small package crumbled feta cheese, 3/4 pound large shrimp, 1 small package quick-cooking brown rice and 1 small package raisins.

Staples: garlic, olive oil, dried oregano, salt and black peppercorns.

GREEK-STYLE SHRIMP

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer 2 teaspoons olive oil

2 cups frozen chopped

onion

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes 3/4 pound shelled shrimp 2 teaspoons dried oregano Salt and freshly ground

black pepper

1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add onion, garlic and tomato. Saute 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and oregano. Saute 2 to 3 minutes turning to make sure they are cooked on both sides. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and sprinkle feta over top.

Yield 2 servings. Per serving: 382 calories (33 percent from fat), 13.8 g fat, (6.6 g saturated, 4.1 g monounsaturated), 310 mg cholesterol, 43 g protein, 24.4 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 363 mg sodium.

LEMON BRAISED CELERY AND RICE

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer 2 tablespoons lemon juice 3 cups sliced celery (about

1 to 2-inch slices) 1 package microwave brown rice (1 1/2-cups cooked)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/4 cup raisins

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add lemon juice and celery to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high 2 minutes. Remove from microwave and set aside. Microwave rice according to package instructions. Measure 1 ½-cup rice and reserve remaining rice for another time. Add the rice to the celery bowl. Add oil, raisins and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well.

Yield 2 servings. Per serving: 308 calories (19 percent from fat), 6.4 g fat, (1.1 g saturated, 2.8 g monounsaturated), no cholesterol, 5.8 g protein, 58.7 g carbohydrates, 5.5 g fiber, 130 mg sodium. Linda Gassenheimer is the author, most recently, of "The 12-Week Diabetes Cookbook," "Delicious OnePot Dishes" and "Quick and Easy Chicken." Her website is dinnerinminutes.com. Follow her on Twitter @ lgassenheimer.