cannoli

cannoli

Monday, January 31, 2011

Birthday Weekend

I had a great weekend!!!  Besides getting another year older the weekend could not have been better.  I'm sure that getting another year older is better than the alternative but a little disturbing too. 

The sun was out Saturday and Sunday with the temperature soaring to 66 and 70 degrees.  Nick and I took Bailey to the park Saturday morning so all of us could enjoy the wonderful weather together.  That evening Nick and I we to a Japanese restaurant for dinner and had a great time.

On Sunday Bailey and I visited my Dad for a while and Nick got some reading done for his classes.  After a painful and irritating trip to the grocery store Nick made his “quick” sauce and we had spaghetti.  It was delicious and the perfect way to end my birthday weekend.  My Mom made me a cake (German Chocolate layer cake with cream cheese icing) and it is wonderful.  I’ll have to get her to share the recipe, it’s the best birthday cake I’ve had!

Another year older and this week started the same as last week…funny how that happens! 

"Everything you see I owe to spaghetti." -- Sophia Loren
Filet and Chicken

Mai Tai

Birthday Spaghetti

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Leftovers

Tonight is leftover night...Chicken Pot Pie leftovers to be exact.  Thank goodness Nick does not mind eating leftovers because we do not throw anything away.  I made Chicken Pot Pie for dinner on Sunday and it will be so good tonight warmed up in the microwave and so quick too.  Tomorrow night will be Chili leftover night as we had Chili last night. 

Since I travel an hour to and from work every day I don't really cook that much during the week.  When I do cook I try to cook enough that we can have leftovers a day or two later.  Last night was Chili night so before I went to work yesterday morning everything went into the slow cooker and it was perfect when I got home.  Served with sour cream, cheddar cheese and tortilla chips all I can say is YUM!

My Chili is very simple and not very creative since I use a store bought chili kit and only add my ground beef, tomato sauce, pink beans, onions and a can of Rotel Hot.  I'd love to find a good and quick chili recipe but haven't put in the time to look.  I'm sure there are some recipes out there but I haven't found one that is quick yet.  All of them sound good but would take more time than I have in the mornings to put it together. 

I've been working on the cookbook too.  I've typed several recipes that I wrote down during the holidays while I had my parents in front of me to give me the blow-by-blow.  I am expecting some recipes in the mail this week and I'm so excited.  I can't wait to see and try some of them.

The weekend is approaching, thank goodness.  Once I've come up with a food plan I'll let you know.

"Everything you see I owe to spaghetti." -- Sophia Loren

Monday, January 24, 2011

Sunday Night Meal



Sunday was the perfect time for Chicken Pot Pie.  Nick loves this dish and mentioned last week it was time for us to have it.  I cooked some boneless chicken breasts that were on sale a couple of weeks ago instead of using the rotisserie chicken that I typically use.  This recipe is so easy and tastes so good.  This was my only cooking experience this weekend.  I had originally planned on trying a new recipe for Vodka Sauce this weekend but got lazy after my brother left Sunday afternoon and didn't want to go to the grocery store to get the things I needed.  This happens to me alot but I think the Chicken Pot Pie was a nice substitute.  Maybe I'll have the Vodka Sauce for my birthday dinner this coming weekend.

I'm trying now to figure out what the menu will be this week.  I'm thinking a big pot of chili is due and I'm sure spaghetti will work it's way in also. 

Here's the recipe for the Chicke Pot Pie:

Quick & Easy Chicken Pot Pie:
2 - Cans Cream of Potato Soup
1 - 16 oz. Can Veg-All, drained
2 Cups chopped cooked chicken *(I typical use a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store)
1/2 Cup chicken broth
1/2 Cup Milk
1/8 tsp thyme
black pepper to suit taste
2 - 9" Refrigerated Pie Crusts
1 Egg, beaten

Drain Veg-All. Combine all ingredients, except egg, in a bowl and mix well.  Put one crust in the bottom of a pie plate, spoon mixture in pie plate and cover with other crust and crimp edges to seal.  Cut 3-4 slits in top of crust then brush with beaten egg for a golden brown crust.  Cook in a 375 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbling through slits in crust.  Let cool about 10 minutes before serving.
 Serve & enjoy!

*I have used 2-3 boneless chicken breasts boiled in water, butter, salt, pepper and garlic instead of the rotisserie chicken.  I usually use the whole rotisserie chicken without the skin.

Let me know what you think if you try it.

Have a great Monday!

Friday, January 21, 2011

Cooking for the Week

I need to write on this blog more about what I cook during the week...which is not much, maybe that's why I don't think it's worth the effort to put it in writing. 

In the cold months, Mondays are typically for soups, chili, etc.  I like to put on a crock pot full of chili or soup before I leave for work and walk in the door that evening and smell all that goodness.  This year I have incorporated a Taco Soup into the rotation and I love it.  It's SO easy and SO good.  I like to serve it with tortilla chips and a spoon full of sour cream and cheddar cheese.  This week the soup of choice was Vegetable Beef Soup.  My mom has made this soup as long as I can remember and it's one of my favorites.  It too is easy and smells delicious after cooking in the slow cooker all day.  I like to have cornbread with Vegetable Beef Soup...that's the way I had it growing up so that's the way I like it now.  And the soup leftovers are wonderful which we usually have on Wednesday or Thursday.

The food for the rest of the week has been boring...jar spaghetti sauce with frozen ravioli, frozen mac and cheese, left over soup and I'm not sure what tonight or the weekend will hold.

Last weekend I tried my hand at a London Broil...first time.  The menu was London Broil with Twice Baked Potatoes and bread of course.  I have to say that the London Broil was terrible...the taste was good thanks to the marinade, if you could cut it or bite it.  It was dry and tough BUT the potatoes were tasty.  Again, this was my first attempt at cooking a piece of meat under the broiler and I knew the possibilities going in but could not resist cooking it a few minutes too long.  I'll try it again the next time it's on sale and I know it will be better.  As Angela Batisa said to me "live and learn" and I have, concerning this anyway.

Here's the recipe I use for Taco Soup, it's best when there's snow on the ground!

TACO SOUP
2 Pounds browned ground beef (or cooked chicken)
1 Medium Size Onion (I use Vidalia, keepn' it local)
1 or 2 Cans Pink Beans (depending on how many beans you like)
2 Cans Whole Kernel Corn, drained
2 Cans Petite Diced Tomatoes (if you like it chunky don't use the petite diced)
1 Can Rotel Hot or Rotel with Green Chiles (I use the Hot)
1 pkg. Ranch Style Dressing
1 Pkg Taco Seasoning
2 or 3 tomato cans of water (depending on how soupy you want it)

Mix everything into the slow cooker and cook on Low for 6-8 hours.  Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream and your favorite shredded cheese.

Pics to follow. 

Have a great weekend!

Friday, January 14, 2011

1/10/11 Snow Pics




Plans and Chicken Parm

Last weekend was more eventful than I had planned.  The plan for Saturday was to hit the grocery store with the other 100,000 people in town to get ready for the snow BUT it was not to be.  I spent from 11 AM until 4 PM helping my wonderful, kind and generous Dad replace the water pump in the Tahoe…UGH!  It was so cold but luckily we pulled the Tahoe in the garage and closed the door and had a heater running the garage.  You know, replacing a water pump is not that fun but I did enjoy spending time with my Dad although I would rather have spent time with him on his boat with a fishing pole in my hand (not with it 25 degrees and windy but you know what I mean).  So, after 2 trips to the parts store, lunch from Burger King and hours of wrestling, scraping and wrangling, the water pump was in and everything was back to some semblance of normal.  No wonder mechanics charge so much…nothing is easy.  Thank goodness Nick got back from his class meeting when he did, that trip to BK helped give us the energy to finish the job.

Sunday evening I made chicken parm with spaghetti.  Nick made his “quick” sauce for it…it was SO good.  As you can see the pieces of chicken are gigantic after pounding them out and frying them.  We have Nick’s “quick” sauce quite often with spaghetti, it was perfect for the chicken parm.  I call it “quick” sauce because it only cooks about an hour not the ‘simmering all day” sauce.

The whole time I’m cooking I’m looking for the snow as I had already planned on NOT being able to work Monday.  Finally at Midnight we had our first flake with almost 8” to follow.  And I couldn’t work Tuesday either…woo hoo!  Bailey LOVES the snow!

Monday I put on a crock pot full of taco soup and it hit the spot with all that snow on the ground.  Those chicken parm leftovers were great on Tuesday too. 

The snow is melting and I’m back to work but at least it’s Friday.  I’m not sure what the menu holds for the weekend…maybe meatloaf and mashed potatoes, we haven’t had that in a long time.  I have a great recipe for meatloaf cooked in the microwave but I may go old school and cook it in the oven…hmmm decisions, decisions.
Eat something good this weekend!!!




Wednesday, January 12, 2011

WOW what a weekend!!  We had 7" of snow and ice but the power never went off...thank goodness.  I have pics to share of the chicken parm and of the snow but with all the sitting around and playing in the snow I didn't get them from the camera to the computer.  Being back at work with all this snow on the ground stinks but whatcha gonna do?!?

Hope everyone has a great week!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Food...


This was the day after Christmas...Bailey is in hot pursuit of something...

This is Bailey...he LOVES this football! He was happy to see a white Christmas too!

The Beginning


"Ya'll come in and fix you a plate" My Granny says this every time I walk in her door. And I usually do, fix myself a plate of something good to eat. I love to eat and I love sharing recipes.
I created this blog to help me with my project of putting together a family cookbook. A compilation of recipes from my family and Nick's family. And, so I can let everyone know what's going on with my family. Most of the time there's not alot to report but every now and then something happens that I would love to shout from the top of the mountain. This is my mountain.
As you can see by the pic attached, I love mac and cheese. I have my Mom's recipe and will include it in the family cookbook. I invite everyone to send me ANY recipes you would like to share. Feel free to post them to the blog, send them in an email or mail them to me. I'm looking for family recipes, recipes you have created or enhanced, recipes handwritten by long gone family members and basically any recipes you love and you want to share.
Eventually, I'll put all the recipes together in a cookbook that can be printed and shared with everyone. I don't have all the details worked out yet but I know it will be great.
I can't wait to see your recipes!