Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Italian Pasta Salad

One of my favorite salads to make is this Italian Pasta Salad, I just put it together one day for a party in the canyon.

I started with some tri-color macaroni, prepared, and one half of a red onion diced.
I love this new pepperoni that comes in small circles, they are great for the salad.

I add, hard boiled eggs, diced, sliced olives, Feta or Parmesan cheese. I have also added red or yellow peppers, chopped, cherry tomatoes and green peas.
Toss with Italian Dressing and chill.
Great for pot luck meals and summer barbeque's

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Best Lasagna Ever!

Our daughter in Kansas City just had a little baby girl. I am here to help her out for a few days and to play with the her sweet little girls. I have been doing some cooking for her while she recovers and making doubles so that after I leave she can pull something out for dinner on her hectic days (with a 20 month old and a newborn there maybe a few!)

I made a marinara sauce several days in advance for several meals that I would be serving. I think sitting and marinating helped the sauce "mature!" At home I would use the tomatoes that I had canned for myself and I don't add sugar so the taste was a little different. But I made my usual recipe, below, only a smaller batch.

Lauri’s Italian Sauce
3 bottles whole tomatoes (4cans approx. 1 lb size)
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
3 8 oz. cans mushrooms

3 T. dried Oregano
3 T. dried Marjoram
3 T. dried Basil
1 ½ T. dried Thyme

1/2-3/4 c. chopped dried onion or two chopped fresh onions
2 T. minced dried garlic or 5 cloves fresh garlic minced (if using fresh onion and garlic saute them in olive oil until transparent and then add the remaining ingredients)
Combine all of the above ingredients and bring to a boil, simmer on low heat until thickened. (I usually simmer it for several hours)

Meat Sauce
4 lbs, lean ground beef
2 chopped onions
2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Brown the meat and add the onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add to the marinara sauce and simmer.
For Lasagna:
Place marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13pan. Place lasagna noodles (uncooked) on top and then layer with Cottage cheese, Cheddar cheese, Mozzarella cheese, and Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers again. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for one hour. If freezing cover with foil and freeze, thaw and bake, saves up to six months in the freezer.

The one thing that made this lasagna so good was the local Italian Sausage that I used along with the ground beef I just wish I could take a case of this home with me. Because the marinara sauce was being used in several things I didn't put as much sauce as I typically do and there was a lot of the meat mixture it all blended together so well.
Seriously one of the best Lasagnas I have ever made!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Saturday, February 5, 2011

Chocolate Chip Macaroon Bars


1 roll premaid chocolate chip cookie dough
4 graham crackers, crumbled
1 oz bag caramel chips
1/2 c. walnuts or pecans, chopped
1/2 bag coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk

In a 9x13 pan cover with parchment paper and sray with a cooking spray. Spread the dough evenly out in the bottom of the pan, top with graham crackers, then caramels, walnuts, coconut, and pour the sweetened condensed milk on top of it all. Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes.


Cydney loves to come up with these cookie bars and this is the latest one that she found. The are yummy and very rich.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Frittata

I love frittata's more all of the time! This was our latest.






Eight slices ranch style bacon, fried and crumbled
2-4 baby red potoatoes, sliced thin
2 mushrooms, sliced thin
Assiago cheese, grated
fresh Basil, chopped
4-5 eggs, beaten
1/4 onion, chopped
Fry the bacon until slightly crisp, cool and crumble. With the bacon grease fry the potatoes and the onion until softened. Mix the remaining indredients and cook until soft. Place in a 350 oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.


Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Corn Dogs

When I was a teenager in Arvada Colorado I remember the city having it's annual "Town Party" Our church always had a booth there as a fund raising event. They made corn dogs each year as a tradition and I loved them. Part of the biggest memory for me was that my dad loved to be a part of this tradition. He was such a character and everyone just loved to be around him so he was a popular person at the booth. I love corn dogs and they bring back lots of fun memories.

Natalie surprised us one Saturday and brought all of the fixings for making corn dogs. After a little paint project we set about making the corn dogs together.

Rebecca went about getting the "dogs" on a stick.

Blend the dry and wet ingredients together, without over mixing.
We decided mixing in a tall container would keep the batter on the hot dog better and easier.It did!
Putting the hot dog into the hot oil and gently dropping it in the oil helped keep the batter on better.

These turned out so yummy.

Carnival Corn Dogs

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup white sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
2 (16 ounce) packages beef frankfurters
16 wooden skewers

In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, salt, sugar and baking powder.
Stir in eggs and milk.
Preheat oil in a deep saucepan over medium heat. Insert wooden skewers into frankfurters. Roll frankfurters in batter until well coated.
Fry 2 or 3 corn dogs at a time until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

The Pantry

The pantry can be a life saver if it is well stocked and can help when you just don't know what to fix for dinner.

As I have made meals over the years I have stocked up on things that are common in my recipes so all I have to do is shop from my shelves. It is easy to come up with things quickly when you have supplies on hand. It may seem like a lot to have on hand but these are some of my pantry/storage staples and if you build slowly it isn't oppresive to purchase. Watch the ads and sales in your local stores.

Canned/Storage:
Tomato Sauce
Tomato Paste
chicken broth
beef broth
tuna
chicken
corn
olives
beans- kidney. canellini, black, refried
dried beans, red, white, pinto, split peas
creamed soups, mushroom. chicken. celery
tomato soup
bean with bacon soup
rice
flour
sugar
favorite spices
variety of pasta's
peanut butter

Freezer:
chicken breasts
bone in hams
chuck roasts pork roasts
pork chops
lean ground beef
ground turkey
Itailian sausage
vegetables

Refrigerator:
milk
eggs
butter
Tillamook cheddar cheese
Lowfat mozerella cheese
sour cream
cream cheese
mayonnaise
miracle whip
ketchup
mustard
half and half
cucumber
lettuce
celery
carrots
apples
limes

Pantry Shelf:
onions
avocados
tomatoes
garlic
potatoes, red and Idaho russet

Home Canned Items: (I love to can!)
tomatoes
chicken breasts
green beans
salsa
chile sauce

Favorite From the Pantry Recipes



Lauri's Italian Sauce

3 bottles whole tomatoes (4cans approx. 1 lb size)
2 8 oz. cans tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
3 8 oz. cans mushrooms

3 T. dried Oregano
3 T. dried Marjoram
3 T. dried Basil
1 ½ T. dried Thyme
T. Fennel (optional)
dried onion or two chopped fresh onions
2 T. minced dried garlic or 5 cloves fresh garlic minced (if using fresh onion and garlic sauté them in olive oil until transparent and then add the remaining ingredients)

Combine all of the above ingredients and bring to a boil, simmer on low heat until thickened. (I usually simmer it for several hours)

Meat Sauce

4 lbs, lean ground beef
2 chopped onions
2-3 cloves garlic, minced

Brown the meat and add the onion and garlic and cook until tender. Add to the marinara sauce and simmer.

Sour Cream Enchilladas


Mix
4 lb. hamburger
2 onions, chopped
6 carrots, grated or chopped
1 or 2 green pepper chopped
2 T. salt
1/2 t. pepper
1/4 t. garlic salt

Brown beef and drain, add prepared vegetables. Cook until tender and drain, cool.*

Add to hamburger mixture
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/4 oz. can green chili's chopped (more if you want a little more spice)
1 c. sour cream
1 c. milk
Monterey jack and cheddar cheese grated (to your taste)
corn tortillas

Fill corn tortillas with meat mixture. Place seam down in a 9x13 baking pan. Layer with sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 for 25 mins. This can also be served lasagna style in a casserole dish. This saves time rolling the enchiladas. It just depends on how you want the dish to look on the plates.

*This meat mixture is great to use for other things as well, it can be used to make sloppy joes, tacos, or with other ground beef recipes. It is a great way to add more vegetables to meals with out children or picky eaters even knowing. Just freeze into portions in a zippered bag and thaw when you need a quick meal.

Tips

Always fill your sink with hot soapy water and wash as you go. This helps to keep the mess under control. (I love to cook to I really hate to clean up after!)

When you fix rice for a meal make extra and freeze some of it in a zipper bag. With this premeasured rice it is easy to do a quick thaw and serve or add to other ingredients for a quick and easy meal.

Post a shopping list where you can find it, when you run out of something simply write it down and teach your family to do the same. You are less likely to be caught off guard when you are making your favorite dish.

Make a menu and include your shopping list. You spend less time in the store when you have a plan. When you make more trips to the store you simply spend more money. Having worked with a large grocery chain I learned some of the tricks used to get you to buy more. Be prepared when you go!

Shop the Ads. Make your menu out with the ad and use the shopping list. Most people don't have time to run from store to store getting the best deal on just a few things. When you compare and find the best prices it saves you time, money, and gas.

When making dishes like lasagna, manicotti, chicken pot pie, and many casseroles make two at the same time and freeze the second one for rainy day or a sick friend. It takes little effort to make the extra and it can be a big bonus in your freezer.

Tomatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator but on your counter top. The cold causes them to break down and turn mushy.

If you need to ripen your avacados faster place them in a small paper bag with a banana or apple. The gas that they put off causes the avacado to ripen faster.

Don't store onion and garlic together because the garlic goes bad faster from the gas emitted from the onions,

Applesauce Spice Cake

2 c. sugar
1 c. shortening
2 c. thick unsweetened applesauce
2 eggs
2 t. cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1/2 t. cloves
1/2 t. allspice
1 t. salt
8 t. baking powder (that's right)
3 c. flour
1 c. nuts chopped (optional)

Cream together shortening and sugar, add eggs. Mix dry ingredients and combine both mixes. Spread on to a sheet cake pan and bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Frosting:

½ c. plus 2 T. butter
5 c. powdered sugar
2½ t. Mapleline flavoring
3 T. milk

Soften butter and combine with remaining ingredients, spread on top of cake.

This is good to take to Pot Luck dinners or large gatherings. I would also freeze leftover cake in individual servings for my kids after school or when they needed a quick, small snack.

Zucchini Blues

Took it for granted
When it was planted
That I had just enough

Now during my days
I'm trying new ways
To use up all this stuff

My basement is crammed
It's been jellied and jammed
Make into bread and cake

It's been chopped and sliced
And grated and diced...
There's nothing else to make!

I've baked it and planned it
Boiled and canned it
And frozen all I need

I have had my fill
There's too much... and still
It's growing like a weed.

(After going away for a week I came home to find six zucchini that were bat size in the garden. Seems like the kids didn't look as hard as they said they did! So I thought of this poem. Anyone need some Zucchini?)




Tablescapes
My blog is being extended to my family. My girls are so creative in some of the things they are doing and I am always asking them to send me the recipes and pictures. I decided to make them co-authors to save a step or two. Of course the "Gourmet Guy" is a great cook and so he is also on board. So if you see the names, Jessica, Natalie, Rachel, Cydney, Rebecca, or Kerry (the Gourmet Guy) you know who they are!