Italian Style Pasta Salad

Fresh and delicious, this salad is always a hit. I am making this tonight to serve along side grilled chicken. The longer it chills the better.

Prepare as directed:

1 box of spiral pasta

Rinse with cold water and let drain. Move pasta to a large bowl. Add:

2 cans olives, sliced in half
sharp cheddar cheese, diced into cubes (about 1 cup I would guess)
small container of grape tomatoes
1 - 8 oz package Italian Dry Salami, sliced into strips
4-5 green onions, sliced
1 small can sliced pepperoncini's (optional!)
1 bottle of Italian style dressing of your choice

Mix well and let chill.

*If I make the salad the day before it will be eaten I reserve half the dressing and add it before serving.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe makes the best chocolate chip cookies. I have no idea where I got the recipe (I have been making them for years now) but to me they are perfect. They are so moist and chewy but have crisp edges. They are perfect with a glass of milk. This recipe does not call for nuts (I hate nuts in my baked goods!) but I am sure all you nutty people out there can figure out how to add them in.

Cream together:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar (yes, 1 1/2 cups)
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Add one at a time, mixing well:

2 eggs

In a medium bowl mix together:

2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Add flour mixture to butter mixture in three parts mixing well between additions. Stir in:

1 bag of chocolate chips

Spoon 1 tablespoon of dough onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 9 - 10 minutes.

*Quick note: Check out my sidebar! My blog was accepted and added to the Foodie Blogroll. Cool huh?!

Enjoy!

Shredded Pork Tacos

It doesn't get much easier than this. All you need is a crock pot, pork roast, and a jar of salsa. I think this is my favorite way to make tacos.

To the crock pot add:

1 3-4 lb pork roast
1 jar of green salsa "Salsa Verde" (we prefer mild)

Set crock pot to low. The longer it cooks the more tender it will be. Shred before serving.

I served ours with:

Flour Tortillas
Black Beans
Lettuce
Tomato
Avocado
Shredded Cheddar
Onions
Sour Cream

Enjoy!

Creamy Cucumber and Tomato Salad

I threw this together tonight because Haley said she wanted a "cucumber and onion salad". Now, if you knew my daughter, you would know this is strange since she has had a phobia of onions her whole life. If an onion touched anything on her plate she would not eat it. If she saw me chopping onions she forcefully reminded me "Mommy, remember, DO NOT PUT ONIONS IN MY DINNER!". Or, whenever it was time to order in a restaurant, no matter what she was having she would remind the waitress, "No onions please!". Tonight though, as I was chopping the onion she reached up and grabbed a slice and proceeded to eat it with enthusiasm. I have no idea where this came from but I won't complain!

This turned out really good and was refreshing (it was in the 90's here today!) and will be awesome this summer when our garden is ripe. It also went well with the leftover lasagna. A little fresh basil would be a nice touch also.

In a medium bowl combine:

2 cucumbers, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced (red would be best but any would work)
feta cheese (I love feta so I use a lot)
salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl whisk together:

2 - 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 garlic clove, minced
balsamic vinegar (I am guessing here... 4 tablespoons? Eyeball it and adjust the amount to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour dressing over veggies and toss well. Chill 2-3 hours.

Enjoy!

The Best Lasagna...Ever!

Let's face it. Lasagna takes a lot of work. By the time I am finished there is tomato sauce and cheese spread from one end of my kitchen to the other. No joke! This is why I only make it when my husband is home and can help out with the kids! This recipe makes one large lasagna (enough to feed a crowd) or you can do like I did today and use 2 of the small disposable lasagna pans and make two. One for us and one for our friends that just had a baby! This recipe is well worth the time it takes to make it and will not disappoint. It is even better the next day!

In a large skillet brown:

1 lb Italian Sausage
3/4 lb Ground Beef

Drain excess fat. Add and cook until soft:

1 medium sweet onion diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Add stirring well to combine:

2 large cans crushed tomatoes
1 large can diced tomatoes
2 small cans tomato paste
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 fresh basil leaves
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste

Let sauce simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine:

2 small or 1 large container ricotta
8 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
2 fresh basil leaves chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
(I usually put the parsley, basil and garlic in my electric mini chopper and pulse it a few times, works great!)
2 eggs

Keep cool in refrigerator until ready to use.

Have ready or buy the pre-shredded kind like I do:

4 cups mozzarella
2 cups Parmesan

When sauce is almost finished, prepare 1 box of lasagna noodles as directed or use the kind you don't have to boil (love them!).

Spray lasagna pan with non stick cooking spray.

Layer lasagna as follows:

Meat sauce
Noodles
Ricotta mixture
Cheese

Repeat layers ending with noodles and meat sauce, top with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.

Cover and bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes.

Enjoy!

Bread

I have a confession. I am a bread addict. There. I said it. I love bread. I could eat bread and butter for every meal. Even though I love bread, I am horrible at baking it! I can get a loaf to turn out decent in the bread machine but that is it. Every single time I try to bake a loaf something goes wrong. I gave up for a while but I am ready to try again!! And maybe, just maybe I will get it right.

Here is the bread machine recipe that I use:

Garlic Herb Bread

Yields 1 1/2 lb. loaf

To pan add:

1 1/4 cups lukewarm milk
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 package rapid rise yeast

Turn on the bread machine, sit back and relax.

*Make sure you add ingredients in the order recommended by your bread machine.


Last weeks Meal Plan fell through. We had sick kids and an unusually busy week so I did not do a lot of cooking. Tonight we are having Shrimp Alfredo. Here is a really simple sauce that is quick and delicious. I don't know about you, but I refuse to eat the jarred Alfredo from the grocery store. Yuck.

Alfredo Sauce

In a large skillet melt:

2 tablespoons butter

Add and cook until soft:

4 cloves of garlic minced
2 packages of mushrooms

Add to pan and cook until melted:

2 packages of cream cheese, diced into 1 inch cubes

To cream cheese mixture add:

Milk (usually about 2 -3 cups, it just depends on how much sauce you want, thickness etc...)

Stir to combine and let simmer until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in:

3/4 cup Parmesan

Season to taste with salt and pepper

*Most of the time I make this sauce I substitute reduced fat/non fat cream cheese and use fat free milk. But if you are in the mood for something rich and creamy then make the original recipe. You can also throw in cooked chicken or shrimp. This recipe makes enough to feed 4 or more. You can always cut the recipe in half and only use 1 package of cream cheese.

**Edited to add: When I first posted this recipe I forgot the Parmesan! Never, ever forget the Parmesan!!

Enjoy!

Happy Easter Everyone!

We have some wonderful friends that we are going to spend Easter weekend with. In fact, it has now become tradition. On Saturday we will color Easter eggs and our hosts will be serving these wonderfully delicious Mexican Pot Roast Tacos. They are incredible and well worth the time it takes to prepare them. On Easter, they will be roasting an entire pig in a pit - luau style! I am excited to say the least! I mean, really, what says Easter like a luau, eh? I will be bringing some fresh strawberries and fruit dip and Haley and I will make these cookies together for all of her little friends that will be there. Now that spring is here there are stands open on the side of the road selling the most delicious and plump strawberries! I plan on picking some up tomorrow. The fruit dip goes so well with it and is a staple at most family functions.

Fruit Dip

Using a stand or hand mixer combine:

1 package of cream cheese softened
1 jar of marshmallow cream

Add until you reach a desired consistency:

Orange Juice

Enjoy!

Mushroom Herb Chicken

This is a recipe that I first got from my friend Nen when we were roommates. I don't have the original recipe so I am not sure how close this version is. I do know that it called for the juice of a lemon but my husband does not like lemon anything (boo) and so begrudgingly I omit it.

Cut into 1 inch cubes:

4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts

In a large resealable bag combine:

1 cup flour
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt
Pepper
Chicken

In a large pan melt:

2-4 tablespoons of butter (or you can use olive oil but butter gives it better flavor - yum)

Add chicken and cook until no longer pink

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine:

1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
(1 lemon juiced)

Add to chicken along with:

1 package sliced mushrooms

Cover and simmer on low 20 minutes or until sauce has thickened

Serve with steamed rice

I love Spring!

Lemon cucumbers:

If you look real close you can see my beans starting to peak through the soil:

Turkey Legs Baked In Gravy

This is my moms recipe and always reminds me of home. You can use this same method for chicken also.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a dutch oven brown in oil:

2-3 lbs Turkey Drumsticks, skin removed, seasoned well with garlic salt and pepper

Once browned well on all sides, sprinkle over the top:

2 tablespoons flour

Add:

2 - 3 cans of chicken or vegetable stock

Cover and bake 3-4 hours.

Serve with mashed potatoes.

Weekly Menu

I made these today. They turned out really good. Audrey loved hers. Haley is feeling a little under the weather so she was not as enthusiastic but I think she would normally dig them. Super quick to make and easy!

On the menu for this week:

• Turkey legs baked in gravy with mashed potatoes and a veggie
  
• Farmers breakfast with fruit on the side
  
• The old standby - spaghetti, homemade Parmesan bread sticks, and a green salad
• Pork ribs (not sure yet if I will grill or bake them), veggies
  
• Mushroom Herb Chicken & Rice
• Beer and Lime Roasted Chicken and asparagus
  

I usually meal plan every Saturday and shop on Sunday's. In fact, as soon as Corey gets home I am heading to the grocery store! It makes my life so much easier and I am not wondering what to make at the last minute. It also saves money!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!

Where do I get my recipes?

I often get asked "Where did you get this recipe?!" Most of my recipes are my own. But I do draw inspiration from everywhere. I am a Food Network junkie. I love reading cookbooks, my favorite is the Joy of Cooking. Everyone should own this cookbook! Of course the Internet is a huge resource for everything, not just cooking. I call my parents and pick their brains weekly and I have also gotten some great recipes from my sister in law. Most of the recipes here are typed out off the top of my head. So if you see a measurement that seems off to you don't be afraid to change it. I will try and be as accurate as I can but often I just eyeball everything. I hate having to measure!

To venture a bit off topic, I was able to plant a garden this year. It is a small one but I am already planning next years plot! We are growing beans, carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, lemon cucumbers, squash, zucchini, red bell peppers, onions, and herbs. I can not wait for our first harvest! Haley is excited too and helped me plant and has continued to help me tend to it. As Corey and I were watching the news tonight we saw yet another story of a salmonella outbreak. Does this freak anyone else out? I told him that we need to buy some property out in the country and grow and raise all of our food. Obviously we can't trust what is on the supermarket shelves. It just seems like more and more we can't be sure of what we are eating. Scary.