I forgot to tell you about this fun and SUPER easy dessert. Put cupcake papers into a muffin pan. Place an oreo inside. Top oreo with peanut butter. Repeat layers. Mix up a brownie mix. Place in a ziplock and snip the corner. Pour batter down the sides, and on top of the peanut butter. Cook 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees. I did do mini ones using mini oreo. You can only do 1 layer this way.

Crap it's amazing how busy the end of the year gets - don't allow myself much time to just sit at the computer and putz. I do cook nearly every night so that hasn't changed let me see if I've made anything earth-shattering to tell you about:

Hmmmmmmmm.......beef and noodles (leftover roast, misc seasonings and good noodles), Papa Murphy's on my birthday, Bucatini (my first post), panko crusted chicken, pancakes, burgers, steak & roasted potatoes.....nope does not look like anything earth-shattering. I must say the Orchard Place treat was super easy and surprising: Take a muffin pan place papers in holes, place an Oreo in each. Top each Oreo with peanut butter; repeat. Mix a boxed brownie batter and place in a Ziplock. Snip the end and pour in on top and down the sides of each Oreo tower. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Coming up this week:

Spicy Mexican Quiche
Cheeseburger Soup
Cheesy Pork quesadilla
Eggs, Toast, Hash Browns, Fruit
One night I'll be serving a meal at Freedom for Youth Ministries
One night I'll be out for dinner with a few other couples

Orchard Place this week is having Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Tuesday night we had appointments at 5 so I threw a roast in before work and then added potatoes after I got off work so when we got home - dinner ready!!

Wednesday night I reprived my Bread & Wine Factory Chef title and made Ham and Potatoes, Green Beans and apples.

Tomorrow night is crock pot chicken - gotta head upstairs to figure out what seasonings to use.

Till then......

Been a few days - Friday night we hit the road for Decorah to a cross country meet - we had soft shell tacos (not your normal traveling food but worked well) and munchies.

Saturday night we were full from our late lunch at T-Bocks in Decorah - great burger and skinny fries.

Sunday, tonight, we had Chels, John and Audrey over and had salad, applesauce and CHICKEN CASSEROLE.

about 2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken (any seasoning you'd like to use)

2 cans cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup milk

5 cups cooked noodles

Mix all ingredients - heat in microwave. Sprinkle crushed plain potato chips on top.

Last night we had the Overnight Breakfast Pie and tonight we had a Smoked Mozzarella Chicken Pizza.

OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST PIE

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tbl Olive Oil
1/3 cup bacon bits
5 eggs plus 2 egg white
2 1/2 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
1 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1/3 cup milk
1 Tbl dry minced onion
1/2 tsp salt
14 tsp ground black pepper

Lightly grease 9 inch pie pan. In medium bowl beat eggs and egg whites. Stir in bacon bits, hash browns, swiss cheese, cottage cheese, milk, minced onion, salt and pepper. Pour mixture into pie pan. Cover and chill for 2 - 24 hours.

Stir together panko and olive oil and sprinkle onto pie. Bake, uncovered, in a preheated 325 degree oven for about 50 minutes.

SMOKED MOZZARELLA CHICKEN PIZZA

I took a Boboli crust and drizzled with olive oil and then sprinkled dried thyme and oregano leaves onto crust. I baked at 400 for 5 minutes. I then topped with a thin layer of alfredo sauce and chopped up leftover Firecracker chicken from the other night and smoked mozzarella cheese. I baked for another10-15 minutes.

Back out to the grill tonight - cant' waste this wonderful weather. I made the Grilled Firecracker Chicken tonight.

2 Tbl Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1 1/4 tsp cayenne
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp pepper
6 chicken breasts

Mix all the seasonings. Place chicken in glass dish and sprinkle both sides with the seasoning mix. Refrigerate from 1 hour to 24 hours. Heat grill and cook until cooked through. You can serve with sour cream mixed with paprika - if desired.

We did not find this to be as spicy as the title leads you to believe. I only refrigerated it for about 1 1/2 hours so maybe longer sitting may let the spices get into the meat more.

Monday Night Orchard Place treat was:

White Chocolate Brownies - you can find the recipe at:

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chocolate/white-chocolate-brownies/

Now I adjusted it a bit. I omitted the nuts and instead of using white chocolate as the "frosting" I made a frosting of powdered sugar, butter, a splash of milk and sugar free strawberry preserves.

Hello to Everyone - hope you had a great weekend. Busy one here.

Thursday night we did Club Sandwiches and Tortilla Chips and Queso (I've been craving chips and queso so I fit it into the meal).

Friday night was our "Sittin with Six" group dinner with 2 other couples from church. We had great soups and salads with a Tiramisu for dessert. Food always tastes better when you didn't have to cook it!

Saturday night we had the Grilled Southwestern Pork Chops, Green Beans and Peaches. The recipe for the Pork Chops is:

Pork Chops
1 Tbl Chili Powder
1 tsp ground Cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
1 large clove finely chopped

1. Remove excess fat from pork. Mix remaining ingredients; rub evenly on both sides of pork. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

2. Heat grill. Place pork chops on the grill; cover and cook 10-12 minutes, turning frequently.

Granddaughter Audrey LOVED them.

Tonight we had LAYERED BEEF-NOODLE BAKE(from Pillsbury Simply One Dish cookbook):

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups uncooked mini lasagna (mafalda) noodles (4 oz)

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef or lean ground turkey

1 jar (14 or 15 oz) tomato pasta sauce

1 container (8 oz) chives-and-onion cream cheese

1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream

3 tablespoons milk

1 box (9 oz) Green Giant® frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed to drain*

1/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 12x8- or 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook noodles as directed on package. Drain; rinse with hot water.
2 Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in pasta sauce and cooked noodles.
3 In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sour cream and milk with spoon until smooth.
4 Spoon half of the noodle mixture into baking dish. Top evenly with cheese mixture. Spoon spinach evenly over cheese mixture. Top with remaining noodle mixture. Cover with foil.
5 Bake 35 minutes; uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake about 5 minutes longer or until hot. Cut into squares.

On the menu for the rest of the week is:

SMOKED MOZZARELLA PIZZA
OVERNIGHT BREAKFAST CASSEROLE
PARMESAN HAM TWISTS WITH ZESTY CHEESE DIP
FIRECRACKER CHICKEN

Good day to all! Last night I threw on a jacket and lit the grill to make Teriyaki Chicken.

TERIYAKI CHICKEN

Marinade your 4 chicken breasts in the following mixture for 1-24 hours:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup orange juice

2 Tbl sugar

2 Tbl vegetable oil

2 tsp grated gingerroot or 1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 cloves garlic crushed

Remove chicken from marinade and grill till cooked through.

I served this with baked potatoes, carrots and miscellaneous fruits that were in the fridge.

Last night the Orchard Place treat was simply Rice Krispy Treats with melted Chocolate Chips on top.

For dinner tonight Scott had (because anyone who knows me knows I do not care for beans):

SMOKED SAUSAGE BAKED BEANS

2 cans (55oz each) baked beans
1 ring fully cooked smoked sausage cubed
2 jalapeno chilies seeded and finely chopped
1 Tbl ground cumin
1 Tbl chili powder

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients and put into a 4 quart casserole.

Bake uncovered 45-60 minutes or until heated thoroughly and bubbly.

This weeks food choices:

LATTICE-TOPPED TURKEY BAKE
SMOKED SAUSAGE AND BEANS
GRILLED SOUTHWESTERN PORK CHOPS
TERIYAKI CHICKEN
CLUB SANDWICHES
SMOKED MOZZARELLA PIZZA

Tonight we went with the:

Lattice-Topped Turkey Bake (from 1994 Down-Home Cooking & Baking)

FILLING-
1/4 cup margarine or butter
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups milk
1 (16 oz) pkg Green Giant American Mixtures New England Style Frozen Sweet Peas, Potatoes and Carrots (could not find this one so got a potato/green bean one and added peas)
3 cups cubed turkey or chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

CRUST-
1 can Pillsbury Breadsticks (I used the garlic ones)

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt margarine in large saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour, dry mustard and salt. Cook until mixture is smooth and bubbly, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in milk. Cook until mixture thickens and boils, stirring frequently. Add frozen vegetables and meat; simmer 5-8 minutes. Stir cheese into sauce mixture and pour into a 13x9 inch pan.

Meanwhile, unroll bread sticks and weave over the top of the sauce mixture.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes or until crust is a deep golden brown.

Hello All,

Last night I made:

Potato-Rosemary Pizza (from Food Network Magazine)

It starts with a homemade crust:

Whisk 3 3/4 cups flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Make a well and add 1 1/3 cups warm water, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 packet yeast. When foamy, mix in 3 tablespoons olive oil; knead until smooth, 5 minutes. Brush with olive oil, cover in a bowl and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Divide into two 1-pound balls. Use 1 pound per recipe unless noted.

The topping is as follows:

Stretch dough into a 15-by-9-inch rectangle. Top with olive oil, fresh rosemary, sea salt and 1 thinly sliced potato. Sprinkle with pecorino and bake until crisp.


I would definitely use a thin garlic sauce on the crust before adding the toppings next time. I also added chopped cooked chicken. It was delicious just really seemed to need a sauce.

Tonight we had French Toast and all the necessary breakfast fixins.

Never did get to this last night - busy day and evening. Last night we had:

TURKEY BURGERS W/CRANBERRY SAUCE (Okay I did not have cranberry sauce)

You can get to the original recipe at:

http://grilling.betterrecipes.com/turkey-burgers-with-cranberry-sauce.html

So instead of the cranberry sauce I decided to make a gravy and coated the burger in gravy. We passed on the buns and just had the burger along with green beans and fruit.

Tonight is a frozen lasagne night as I've been outside doing fall work this afternoon.

Tonight was:

CROWD-PLEASING SCALLOPED POTATOES

I got this recipe from a Kraft publication. The link to the recipe is:

http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/crowd-pleasing-scalloped-potatoes-114690.aspx

I made it a meal by adding diced ham to the layers.

Orchard Place treat tonight was Peanutty Brownie Bites (they were delicious):

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/brownies/peanutty-brownie-bites/

What's on tap for dinner this week??

Crowd Pleasing Ham & Scalloped Potatoes

Turkey Burger W/Cranberry Sauce

Potato Rosemary Pizza

Queso Fondue w/Cornbread Dippers

French Toast

Been a couple of days...Last Friday 10/7 was the day I had dinner out and ready to be cooked and our power went out so we went to the World Food Festival for dinner. Saturday 10/8 we went to see Michael. I had a huge lunch and so we just did leftovers for dinner. Finally Sunday 10/9 I cooked dinner (I did cook breakfast Saturday morning and lunch on Sunday also).

For dinner on Sunday we had:

Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Basil-Parsley Sauce

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Refresh

Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Basil-Parsley SauceRecipe courtesy Rachael Ray

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken cutlets
• Salt and pepper
• 3 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano, a couple of handfuls
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 (3-ounce) jar pine nuts (pignoli)
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Olive oil, for shallow frying

Basil- Parsley Sauce:

• 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
• 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
• 1 Roma or plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped, for garnish

Directions

Season the cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides turn lightly in flour.

Combine next 7 ingredients in food processor and pulse-process the crumbs to chop the spices, garlic and nuts and evenly distribute the flavors throughout the crumb and cheese mixture. Transfer the mixture to a plate. Beat eggs in a separate shallow dish.

Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, over medium to medium high heat. Coat the cutlets in eggs then breading and add to the hot oil. Cook cutlets in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until cutlets' juices run clear and breading is evenly browned.

Return food processor bowl to base and add basil, parsley and lemon juice. Add a little salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in oil until a loose paste forms.

Serve chicken cutlets with a generous amount of basil and parsley sauce poured over the cutlets.

Inactive Prep Time:

Ease of preparation: easy

©Television Food Network G.P.
All Rights Reserved.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken cutlets
• Salt and pepper
• 3 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano, a couple of handfuls
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 (3-ounce) jar pine nuts (pignoli)
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 eggs, beaten
• Olive oil, for shallow frying

Basil- Parsley Sauce:

• 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves
• 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
• 1 Roma or plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped, for garnish

Directions

Season the cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides turn lightly in flour.

Combine next 7 ingredients in food processor and pulse-process the crumbs to chop the spices, garlic and nuts and evenly distribute the flavors throughout the crumb and cheese mixture. Transfer the mixture to a plate. Beat eggs in a separate shallow dish.

Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, over medium to medium high heat. Coat the cutlets in eggs then breading and add to the hot oil. Cook cutlets in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until cutlets' juices run clear and breading is evenly browned.

Return food processor bowl to base and add basil, parsley and lemon juice. Add a little salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in oil until a loose paste forms.

Serve chicken cutlets with a generous amount of basil and parsley sauce poured over the cutlets.

What was on the table tonight??

HOMEMADE PORK TENDERLOINS (with salad and bananas)

I pounded pork loin chops till thin. I then made a mixture of flour/panko/Italian Breadcrumbs/onion powder/garlic powder/Italian Seasonings. I dipped the pork in milk and then into the dry mixture. I cooked in a pan with oil and butter.

Chesley and Audrey joined us for dinner tonight (becoming a Wednesday thing - which I really love). We had

CHICKEN PENNE IN SMOKY CHILI CREAM SAUCE

Ingredients

• 12 ounces uncooked penne pasta
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
• 1/3 cup onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 cups prepared alfredo sauce
• 1 tablespoon chipotle chiles in adobo
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 slices cooked bacon, heated in microwave and chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Cook penne following package directions; drain.
2. While penne is cooking, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken for about 4 minutes or until cooked through.
3. Remove to a plate and reserve.
4. Reduce heat to medium.
5. Add onion to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
7. Stir in the Alfredo sauce, chipotle, chili powder, maple syrup and salt.
8. Cook over medium-high heat until bubbly.
9. Stir in the chicken.
10. Place the pasta back into the pot and stir in the Alfredo and chicken mixture.

Instead of chipotles I just used a little cayenne.

Tonight we had:

Grilled Thin-Cut Pork Chops (recipe gotten from Cook's Country Aug/Sept 2010)

Grilled Thin-Cut Pork Chops

Why this recipe works:

To ensure that our Grilled Thin-Cut Pork Chops would brown quickly, we partially froze them to eliminate excess moisture from the exterior. Salting them first prevented them from drying out and allowed us to skip brining. A combination of softened butter and brown sugar spread over the chops resulted in a golden-brown crust when they came off the grill.

Serves 4 to 6

To prevent the chops from curling, cut 2 slits about 2 inches apart through the fat around the outside of each raw chop.

Ingredients

• 6 (3-ounce) bone-in rib or center-cut pork chops, 1/2 inch thick, trimmed
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh chives
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Instructions

• 1. FREEZE CHOPS Pat chops dry with paper towels and rub with salt. Arrange on wire rack set inside rimmed baking sheet and freeze until chops are firm, at least 30 minutes but no more than 1 hour. Combine 2 tablespoons butter, brown sugar, and pepper in small bowl; set aside. Mix remaining butter, chives, mustard, and zest in another small bowl and refrigerate until firm, about 15 -minutes. (Butter-chive mixture can be refrigerated, covered, for 1 day.)

• 2. GRILL CHOPS Pat chops dry with paper towels. Spread softened butter-sugar mixture evenly over both sides of each chop. Grill, covered, over hot fire until well browned and meat registers 145 degrees, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chops to platter and top with chilled butter-chive mixture. Tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Serve.

These are delicious!!!! I served them with pineapple and hashbrowns made by: Shredding previously baked potatoes then adding 2 egg whites, pepper jack cheese and chives. I browned them in olive oil.

Last night we had

Turkey Club Pizza

Ingredients

1 (14 oz) package Boboli™ pizza crust

3 tablespoon light mayonnaise

0.25 lb DiLusso™ turkey lunchmeat

4 slices Hy-Vee pre-cooked bacon, chopped

0.75 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1.5 cup Hy-Vee shredded lettuce

1 tomato, chopped

Preparation

Spread crust with mayonnaise. Top with lunchmeat, bacon and cheese.

Broil for 2 to 3 minutes to melt cheese, if desired. Top with lettuce and tomato.

Okay so mine did not look like this because I can't seem to remember to buy mayo for the house (my half would not have had mayo anyways). I did the Boboli crust and topped it with ranch dressing. Then topped with the meat and then swiss and a 4 cheese blend.

This weeks menu:

Grilled Pork Chops (where you put them on the grill frozen - delicious)

Turkey Club Pizza

Topped Pork Chop Sandwich (bought the pork chops in bulk so using twice this week)

Chicken Penne & Smoky Chili Cream Sauce

Fried Egg Breakfast Sandwich

I'll post tonight's dinner recipe tonight.

Okay, okay I have not done really much cooking the last few days.

Friday night we were at a Cross Country Meet until about 7 so we had some delicious California Kitchen frozen pizzas.

Saturday night was spent at a BBQ at Freedom For Youth Misinstries (http://freedomforyouth.org/). Great food, great music - first time visiting their campus and was amazed at how much they have going on. I am slotted to serve a "heavy snack" there in 2 weeks and a dinner in November and a dinner in December. Looking forward to it.

Tonight, Sunday, is a leftover night for Scott as I'm going to Orchard Place early because I'll be doing Rebuilding Together with work all day tomorrow. The Orchard Place treat this week is Chunky Path Brownies. The recipe can be found:

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/brownies/chunky-path-brownies/

Back to cooking tomorrow night.

Dinner tonight:

WAFFLE COOKED SANDWICHES & POTATOES

I took pita bread halves and put a little basil pesto on one side inside. I then put ham/salami/provolone cheese. On Scott's I also put a red onion mixture (red onion a bit of olive oil/red wine vinegar/cayenne/oregano/salt/pepper). I then sprayed the waffle iron before putting the sandwiches inside and then cooked until heated through and the cheese was melty.

In hindsight I would have browned the ham before putting in the sandwich as it made the sandwiches a bit juicy and hard to handle. I've made these before with regular sandwich bread and a multitude of fillings.

The potatoes were just cubed and Table Blend Seasoning and Garlic Salt was added.

Tonight is:

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE/SMOOTHIES

I'm doing the easy breakfast casserole: tator tots/bacon/pepper jack cheese/eggs/milk/Mrs Dash Table Blend Seasoning and McCormick Grill Mates Garlic & Onion Seasoning. Cook about 30 - 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

What I wanted to make was my mom's breakfast casserole but realized I do not have an overnight within the next hour to have her's set in the refrigerator. But I'll share the recipe with you. She always makes this for our Christmas breakfast and there maybe is a small edge piece left when everyone gets through the line.

BREAKFAST CASSEROLE

6 eggs; slightlen beaten

6 slices of bread cubed

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese grated

1 lb sausage cooked and drained or 1 lb ham cubed

2 cups milk

1 tsp dry mustard

salt & pepper

Beat the eggs slightly - add other ingredients. Put in greased 9x13 dish & refrigerate overnight. Bake 350 degrees 45-50 minutes.

My smoothies are just fresh fruit and yogurt pureed.

Tonight for dinner is:

HERBED CHICKEN FETTUCCINE

1-2 tsp salt free seasoning blend
1 tsp poultry seasoning
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into strips
2 Tbl olive oil
4 Tlb butter - divided
2/3 cup water
2 Tbl teriyaki sauce
2 Tbl Onion Soup Mix
1 envelope savory herb & garlic soup mix - divided
8 oz uncooked fettuccine or pasta of choice
2 Tbl grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbl Worcestershire Sauce

Combine seasoning blend and poultry seasoning; sprinkle over chicken. In a skillet, saute chicken in oil and 2 Tbl butter for 5 minutes or until juices run clear. Add the water, teriyaki sauce, onion soup mix and 2 Tbl herb & garlic soup mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, cook fettuccine according to directions. Drain; add to the chicken mixture. Add cheese, Worcestershire sauce, remaining butter and remaining herb & garlic soup mix; toss to coat.




Last night I served Orchard Place Pear-Cinnamon Streusel Squares (I used apples instead of pears). The recipe can be located at:

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/bars/pear-cinnamon-streusel-squares/

OOPS - sort of missed yesterday's meal. We had Jacqueline and Joshua over yesterday afternoon and we could not decide between 2 dinners so we made a little of both. With the main dishes we had baby carrots, cooked cinnamon apples and bread. The 2 main dishes were:

Turkey Bacon wrapped chicken tenders dipped in Queso. These cook up pretty fast.

Easy Chicken Manicotti - Take thawed chicken tenders and put inside an uncooked manicotti noodle. In a baking dish spread a thin layer of your favorite red pasta sauce. Place the filled noodles onto the sauce. Mix about a cup of water into the remaining pasta sauce and pour over the noodles. Top with a mixture of cheddar/mozzarella cheeses (or your favorite cheese). Cover the dish and cook at 350 for 45 minutes - 1 hours until noodles are cooked.

Well we have a surprise tonight in that Michael is unexpectedly coming home for the day. So for lunch I'm making Aunt Patti Noodles (this is what my niece and nephew tagged this dish as - my daughter loves it also and while in High School cooked it in Home Ec). It is almost embarrassing to say what it it but here goes:

Ramen Noodles cooked and drained and put on spayed cookie sheet. Then sprinkle with the seasoning packet. Top with meat (I usually use chicken, today it'll be turkey). Then I sprinkle with whatever cheeses I have in the house. Put under broiler until bubbly. This is when my son and I just grab 2 forks and sit at the table and have lunch.

For dinner we're just going to do burgers on the grill, the same mashed potato casserole from last Sunday night (as these are Michael's favorites) baked beans and apples.

We had an addition to the meal as everyone wanted the Strawberry Pretzel "salad/dessert" tonight. That got thrown together at the last minute but was set up and ready for dinner!

Easy dinner night - no recipes needed: Tacos, sweet corn, fruit. Easy end to the week.

Well last night I took a half turkey breast on the bone and put it in the crock pot (refrigerated it over night). I put over the top of that Purnell's Smokehouse Sausage and Misty's BBQ Seasoning. I started cooking it this morning at 5:15 and shut it off about 2:30. The house smelled great. When I tasted the turkey it had not picked up as much of the sausage flavor as I was hoping.

And now since Scott is not going to be able to make it for dinner I'll just probably put the meat into a sandwich and have some fruit on the side for dinner.

I'll continue to work on getting the flavor to penetrate more into the meat.

Okay I really, really am not a seafood fan but my son and husband are. So every now and again I make something "fishy". Here's the one served tonight (my husband loves peanut sauce)

Cold Thai Noodles with Shrimp

4 oz uncooked spaghetti

4 oz fresh snow pea pods, trimmed, cut diagonally into thirds

½ medium red bell pepper, cut into strips

½ lb shelled deveined cooked medium shrimp

½ cup purchased Thai peanut sauce

Cook spaghetti as directed. Drain; rinse with cold water to cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine pea pods, bell pepper, shimp and peanut sauce. Add cooked spaghetti and toss gently to mix.

CREAMY HAM AND POTATOES

1 1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes
8 oz slice cooked ham; coarsely chopped
1 cup Swiss cheese
1 medium onion, chopped
1 3oz pkg cream cheese, cut up
1 10 oz pkg Alfredo sauce
2 Tbl Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced

Wash potatoes, halve lengthwise and slice into 1/4 inch slices. In a slow cooker place potatoes , ham, cheeses and onion. In small bowl combine alfredo sauce, garlic and thyme. Pour sauce over potato mixture.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir before serving.

Good Morning All,

As promised I'm posting the recipe for Paula's Pie that we had last night. I'm also adding the recipe for the Mashed Potato Casserole that got finished off at dinner.

Mashed Potato Casserole

1 cups milk

1 – 8oz pkg cream cheese

1 – 8oz pkg French onion chip dip

2 beaten eggs

2 cups water

½ cup butter or margarine

1 tps salt

3 cups instant mashed potato flakes

2 Tbl butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 ½ quart casserole dish.

Blend together milk, cream cheese, onion dip and eggs.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine water, margarine and salt. Bring to a boil and add instant potato flakes; mix well. Add cream cheese mixture; mix well and pour into prepared dish.

Dot top with 2Tbl margarine and bake for 30-45 minutes.

(Great thing about this recipe is that you can make it up the night before an then cook it the same way the next day.)

Paula’s Pie

4 squares (1oz each) white baking chocolate

8 strawberries, halved lengthwise

1 graham cracker pie crust

¾ cup sliced fresh strawberries

1 pkg – 8oz cream cheese cubed

¾ cup powdered sugar

¾ cup cold milk

1 pkg (3.3 oz) instant white chocolate pudding mix

1 cup blueberries

Cool Whip

In saucepan or microwave melt white chocolate; stir until smooth. Dip halved strawberries, place on waxed paper cut side down. Refrigerate for 15 minutes until set. Spread remaining chocolate onto bottom of crust. Arrange sliced strawberries onto crust.

In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Gradually add milk. Mix well. Beat in pudding mix at low speed for 2 minutes or until thickened; spread evenly over strawberries. Place blueberries in center of pie. Arrange dipped strawberries around edges. Serve with Cool Whip.

NOTE: I’ve made this in a cake pan making my own graham cracker crust. You’ll need to double the ingredients if making in a 9x13 pan. I’ve also mixed the blueberries into the cream cheese layer then topped with chopped strawberries. You could use other fresh fruit also.

Welcome to my kitchen. I have a friend Janice who does a food blog and I really liked the idea so I thought I'd share what I was serving for dinner with whoever may be interested. Along the way we'll even have dessert.....which is everyone's favorite. So pour a drink, pull up a chair and let's share a meal together! I have to start with a meal I made the other night: Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Bucatini (From Cuisine at Home). It was delicious, both Scott and I really liked it. We even thought it could be served cold the next day....if there were leftovers. Bacon, Lettuce & Tomato Bucatini 2 strips Bacon diced ( I used bacon bits - Hormel in the gold/bronze package being my go to brand) 1 cup halved grape tomatoes 1/2 tsp sugar 1/2 cup thinly sliced leeks 1/4 cup dry white wine (all I had in the fridge was a sweeter white wine so I used it) 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 tsp red wine vinegar 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes ( I used cayenne as so not to kill my tongue ) 4 oz dry bucatini or spaghetti 1 cup fresh spinach leaves 1/4 tsp minced fresh thyme ( used dried more convenient and cost effective ) Crushed garlic croutons I put a little oil in a skillet (since I did not use real bacon I did not have the "grease" from it). Put the tomatoes and sugar and cook over medium heat until the tomatoes begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add leeks and saute until wilted; about 3-4 minutes more. Deglaze the skillet with wine; simmer until liquid is nearly evaporated. Add broth, vinegar and pepper flakes. Simmer until liquid is reduced by a third, about 5 minutes. Cook pasta - do not drain. Add spinach, thyme and bacon to the tomato mixture. Transfer pasta straight from liquid to skillet. Toss to coat. Sprinkle with crushed croutons. Tonight 9/18/2011 we are having 2 couples over for dinner on the menu is: Pork Loin cooked in slow cooker all day with soy sauce/brown sugar/fresh ginger/minced onion/garlic Grilled Chicken - marinated in chicken broth/garlic/oil/parsley/pepper Michael's Mashed Potatoes - the kind with the cream cheese/french onion dip/milk/eggs......YUM Fresh Fruit Great Bread (I don't try to make this fresh as I can get awesome bread so many places in town Dessert is Paula's Pie: I'll add this recipe tomorrow as I do not cook dinner on Monday's as it's my volunteer night to that makes it leftover night.