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

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!

Coconut Cake

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.

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.

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.

Broccoli Salad

This recipe has been around for a long time but I still have requests for it and so here it is. Usually we serve it in the summer but every now and then it tastes great no matter what season.

Broccoli Salad

Approx 1½ pounds Broccoli Florets
1 lb. bacon- cooked crisp and crumbled
½ lb. Swiss or Monterrey Jack cheese (grated)
1 red onion
raisins, optional

Dressing
1 c. mayonnaise
¼ c. sugar
2 t. vinegar

"Bunnies and Bears"

One of the things that we have done as a family tradition for the holidays over the years is to make "Bunnies and Bears." My sister brought some cute molds and this recipe to us when our girls were little. Over the years we have always made them at Christmas time. Now that our girls are all grown up it is one of the things that we don't do much anymore. I was missing this tradition this year and decided to expand it to the grandchildren, it was a lot of fun carrying on the tradition to another generation. We have since added some more Christmas type molds but we still call it the Bunny and Bear recipe.

Melt the butter.

Add the brown sugar,

stir in the Karo Syrup,

and finally add the sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil.

Add the puffed rice and or puffed wheat cereal and start the fun.

The Gourmet Guy with our four year old grandson making the Christmas Tree shapes.

All of us around the table working with the molds and the kids decorating with lots of different sprinkles. Even the one year old was having fun at the table with us.

She was too young to use the molds but not to entertain us while we made them.

Our six year old grandson really got into making these, it was a lot of fun

A family tradition lives on.

“Bears and Bunnies”

6 oz. bag puffed rice or wheat
2 c. brown sugar
2 sticks butter
1 c. corn syrup
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Boil butter, sugar, syrup and milk for about 6 minutes. Place cereal in a large bowl and pour the mixture over the tip, mix well. Spray mold with a vegetable spray and fill with the mixture. Remove from mold immediately.

Sweet Pork

We love to eat at places like Costa Vida, or Cafe Rio and are always looking for recipes that can compare to some of our favorites to make on our own.

In December our family gathered together to watch a bowl game together. We all brought finger foods and Natalie found this new recipe to try. We made mini nachos with the meat, they were so good!

SWEET PORK

2 pounds pork (we use boneless pork rib meat)
3 cans Coke (NOT diet)
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash garlic salt
1/4 c. water
1 can sliced green chilies
3/4 can enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso brand, medium spiciness but any will work)
1 c. brown sugar

Put the pork in a heavy duty Ziploc bag to marinade. Add about a can and a half of coke and about 1/4 c. of brown sugar. Marinade for a few hours or overnight.

Drain marinade and put pork, 1/2 can of coke, water, and garlic salt in crock pot on high for about 3-4 hours (or until it shreds easily, but don't let it get TOO dry) or on low for 8 hours. Remove pork from crock pot and drain any liquid left in the pot. Shred pork.

In a food processor or blender, blend 1/2 can Coke, chilies, enchilada sauce and remaining brown sugar (about a cup, you can add a little more or less to taste..). If it looks too thick, add more Coke little by little.

Put shredded pork and sauce in crockpot and cook on low for 2 hours. That's it!

Chicken Squares

These are a quick and easy meal on a busy day. I keep these ingredients on hand in my pantry to fix easily. This is not a new recipe but one that my girls all liked growing up.

Mix an 8 oz. package of cream cheese with chunk chicken or leftover turkey. (The original recipe called for pimentos but my girls didn't like them.)

Take two of the crescent rolls and pinch them together.
Each can will make four of the chicken squares.

Mix the ingredients together well. I have my own canned chicken so I have to use a little extra salt.

Place even amounts on the square crescent roll dough.

Pull the dough around the meat mixture and seal tightly. Bake until golden brown.
Enjoy!

Turkey or Chicken Squares

2 8 oz. cream cheese
½ t. salt
2-4 c. cooked turkey or chicken or 2 large cans chunk chicken
¼ t. pepper
2 8 oz. can crescent rolls

Blend cream cheese until softened. Add turkey, salt, pepper, onion, chives, and milk. Mix well. Separate the 2 cans of crescent rolls, into 8 squares. Firmly press perforations to seal. Spoon ½ c. of meat mixture into the center of each square. Draw the corners of the dough up and around the meat and twist to seal. Brush top with butter. Dip in seasoned bread crumbs or sesame seeds. Bake at 350’ on cookie sheet for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Vegetable Pizza

This is one of our families favorite things to fix for things like showers and parties. This is a recipe that I almost always have the ingredients on hand to make this.

The crust is so simple and quick to make. Simply pinch the crescent roll dough together and bake to a golden brown. Cool.

Mix the dressing mix, cream cheese, and mayonnaise together and top the crust. Add the vegetables of your choice and chill. The more color from the vegetables the better.

Vegetable Pizza

2 pkg. Crescent Roll dough
Ranch dressing mix
1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
½ c. mayonnaise
vegetables of choice, diced into small pieces
(red onion, radishes, carrots, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes…the more color the better)

Roll the dough out on a jelly roll pan, cover the bottom, pinch the seams together to make a flat crust. Bake at 400 until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes. Let cool. Mix the dressing mix with the cream cheese and mayonnaise, blend until smooth, spread on top of the baked and cooled crust. Top with the vegetables of your choice. It is best if it has a couple of hours to chill before serving.

Wassail

I have already posted this recipe but it is mixed with some other ones. After serving it for a baby shower and neighborhood gathering I had enough requests for the recipe that I decided to repost it so here it is.

Wassail

2 c. water
1-2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 t. whole cloves

Heat one half hour but don't bring to a boil. Remove the cinnamon and cloves.
Add:
1 c. sugar
1 6 oz. can orange juice concentrate
juice of 1 lemon
6 c. water

Heat thoroughly and serve warm.

(Thanks to my sister Rosemarie for introducing this one to me!)

Artichoke Dip

One of my favorite dishes to serve at gatherings. Frozen spinach, thawed drained, can be added to this as well. (Not in the picture below is the can of green chilies.)

I always cut the artichoke quarters a little bit more for the dip.

Mix all ingredients well in a bowl.
Spread into a baking dish and smooth out. Bake until golden brown and serve with crackers or rustic bread.

Artichoke Dip

1 14 oz. can artichokes, quartered (I cut them smaller)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. sour cream
1 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies

Mix all ingredients in a 9x9 casserole dish. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes. Serve with crusted bread or crackers.

"Spooked"

Our family likes to do these type of activities, kind of a "Pay it Forward" type things. Each year we take several plates of goodies to various parts of our neighborhood and leave the Spook on the porches. It is fun to see it spread and go from neighbor to neighbor. This year has been a little disappointing because the ghosts have only moved a couple of places. I think the economy has had a part in that.. Never the less it is fun to sneak around and get it started.

You've Been Spooked

These treats are for you and Halloween too.

This game is real fun, so here's what to do!

Just think of a neighbor, or think of a friend

We'll do the whole town before Halloween's end.

Make them a surprise or a really cute treat

Keep it a secret and they'll think you are sweet!

Put it on their porch (include this poem)

Smile to yourself and get quickly home!

The faster you do, then there's more of the fun

There's a lot of people to cover before Halloween's done.

Hang this ghost in your window when you are through

So everyone can see it and join in the game too!

There is not time to waste, Halloween is near.

Find someone quick and spread TRICK-OR-TREAT cheer!

After Halloween is over we look forward to our plans for Secret Santa's (My neighbors don't even know I blog so this doesn't make me worry about getting caught. ) It helps make the Holiday's so even more meaningful.

Mummie's Halloween Party

Halloween is such a fun time!

Natalie made the cute invitations for our get together.

The Gourmet Guy and I were able to have most of our family at our home for a little Halloween party. Because I am going to be gone when Harry Potter comes out next month I combined some of the ideas that I had for a party I wanted to do with Halloween.

I thought for a snake this guy turned out pretty cute. The Gourmet Guy and I had a lot of fun making this. We simply took two bundt cakes and cut them to fit into the shape that we wanted. Frosting him took more time and frosting than I planned or wanted but I was very pleased with the end result.

These wands were super easy I just dipped some pretzel sticks into melted chocolate and then sprinkled the top with Halloween colored sprinkles. I put them in the freezer for about a half an hour, just long enough for the chocolate to become solid again.

We had chocolate frogs, cinnamon devils, candy corn and pumpkins, M & M's, chocolate covered bat droppings (raisins), and an assortment of mini candies.

Natalie and Rebecca made these cute cute cookies as well.

This a spider bread raising for dinner.

These are also spiders, just melted chocolates with chow mein noodles topped with M&M's for the eyes. I also placed these in the freezer for a short time.
I had planned on doing calzones or "pizza benders" for dinner with everyone making exactly what they wanted in them. But in the interest of time we bought Pumpkin Pizzas from Papa Murphy's, we'll do "pizza benders another time!

After dinner we started the fun this is Rebecca's masterpiece.

From Natalie's family, the cannibal pumpkin.

And from Jessica's family.
The invitation stated that no one would be admitted to the party without a costume.

Count Gourmet Guy taking a bite out of the "mummy," too bad my costume kept slipping on me.

Muse even stopped by to join in the fun! Cameron was Chris, Rebecca was Dom and Rachel was Matt. They seriously like this band, some more than others.

Natalie's family aren't they cute!

Jessica's family. I felt so much safer with a police man and a strong cowboy there to protect us.

Just had to do a close up on this little kitten, she is such a doll.

This little Tigger kept us laughing the entire evening!

I can't believe he's turning one this week.

It was such a fun evening I wish the whole family could have been there.