Focaccia Bread

I posted this on my blog and had a couple of people ask for the recipe, so I thought I would post it here.

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. sugar
3 T olive oil
1/2 t. salt
1 T active dry yeast
1 cup water (110 degrees...or lukewarm)

• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, sugar, yeast. Mix in 1 T olive oil and water.


• When the dough has pulled together, turn it onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Lightly oil a large bowl. Place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 20 minutes.


• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Punch dough down: place on greased baking sheet. Pat into a 1/2 inch thick rectangle. Brush top with olive oil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and rosemary.


• Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm.

Red Sangria

This is a Martha Stewart Everyday Food recipe. It was given rave reviews both times I served it. I think it's one of the best sangrias I've had.

In a pitcher, stir together:

1/2 cup brandy

1/4 cup sugar

1 orange, ends cut off, thinly sliced

1 red apple, halved and thinly sliced

Let stand 15 minutes, then add:

1 bottle well-chilled dry red wine (I used a cheap cabernet)

1/2 cup club soda

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Serve over ice.

Delicious!

Tomato Caesar Skillet

This is a super easy chicken recipe that has tons of flavor. You can't go wrong with any recipe containing bacon.

4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 lb.)

1/4 cup chicken broth

Classic Caesar Dressing

1 t. dried basil

2 T chopped parsley

4 plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped (I used a hand full of grape tomatoes...it's what I had on hand)

2 T. crumbled bacon

Cook chicken in hot oil in large skillet on medium-high heat 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Stir in 1/4 up Caesar dressing, broth, basil and parsley until well blended. Bring to simmer; cook an additional 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and bacon; stir to combine. Cook 2 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Cha Cha's white chicken chili (from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced jalapeno peppers
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
• 3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast
• 3 (15 ounce) cans white beans
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

I leave out the jalapenos and it's just spicy enough :)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.

Mixed Berry Tartlets

Getting to be with most of you this past weekend was so wonderful (even though we missed Erin and Tab!) and it reminded me about dinnerchatt -I love this website and have been far from faithful to keep it going. Looking at it again today reminded me of how awesome it is and how many new things I can make to try and get myself out of my ever-widening dinner rut.

Here's a recipe from some magazine I get - credit to family circle or bhg most likely. I used Aldi's pre-made rolled out pie crust and Aldi frozen mixed fruit and it was perfect - just in case you felt a little nervous like I did. Also, I was a little intimidated to make the lemon curd stuff so I just used a recipe I had for cream puff filling and added extra lemon juice. Not trying to go "all-recipes comments section" on you guys - now you just have options for the fancy and non-fancy days.

1 15-oz pkg rolled refrigerated unbaked pie crusts (2)
nonstick cooking spray
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 12-oz pkg frozen mixed berries
1 tbsp lemon juice

Tartlet filling
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla
fresh mint sprigs (optional)

1. Let pie crust stand according to pkg directions. Preheat oven to 400. Lightly coat twelve 2 1/2 in. muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. For pastry shells, unroll pie crusts on lightly floured surface. Use 3 1/2-4 in. round cutter (I used a big coffee mug) to cut 6 rounds from each crust. (I rolled out the excess and used it too) Press rounds into prepared muffin cups, pleating to fit.

3. For tartlet filling, in medium bowl combine the 2 tbsp sugar and cornstarch; stir in mixed berries and lemon juice. Spoon filling into pastry shells. Bake about 20 minutes or until pastry is golden. Cool in muffin cups on wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully remove tartlets from muffin cups; cool completely on wire rack.

4. In medium mixing bowl combine whipping cream, lemon curd, the 1 tsp sugar, and vanilla; beat with wire whisk or with electric mixer on medium speed until cream mixture mounds and is fluffy. Spoon on tarlets. Garnish each with a mint sprig. Makes 12 tartlets.

Ok, if you'd rather do the cream puff way (no pun intended) here are the directions (credit to Mrs. Crocker or Ms. Crocker):

1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
1 3/4 cups milk mixed with 1/4 cup lemon juice
2 large egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in 2-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir at least half o the hot mixture into egg yolks, then stir back into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into bowl. Press plastic wrap on filling to prevent a tough layer from forming on top. Refrigerate at least 1 hour until cool.

Now that I write all that out, it seems like the original recipe is a lot easier, but I was intimidated by finding "purchased lemon curd" - I can be such a wimp sometimes. Just for fun I made a bunch of apple pie tartlets this way (just put a top crust on them) for Thanksgiving and froze them - I'll let you know how they turn out.

Brownies

These are probably the least fattening brownies you will ever have (without fake ingredients or chemicals to make it "low fat")...133 calories per bar and 3 grams of fiber. These aren't gooey like regular brownies but are more cake-y. But the flavor is really yummy. The purees are spinach and carrots (I didn't have any carrots on hand the second time I made these so I used applesauce instead and it still was good). Jessica Seinfeld wrote on this recipe to let them cool all the way to let the spinach taste completely disappear. We couldn't wait that long and we didn't notice the spinach taste.

3 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (I used chocolate chips)
1/2 cup carrot puree
1/2 cup spinach puree
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T butter
2 t. vanilla
2 large egg whites (I added a yolk just cause I didn't want to waste it)
3/4 cup flour
1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 8x8 inch pan with cooking spray. Melt the chocolate either in double boiler or microwave (on low heat). In large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and vanilla and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in egg whites. Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon. Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes (I reduced it to about 20 minutes so they weren't too dry). Cool completely in the pan before cutting into bars.

Pink Pancakes

This recipe is from the cookbook Deceptively Delicious and is the first recipe I've made where the puree is a little strong. So picky eaters probably won't like this one. But if you have eaters that are pretty good at trying new things, this is a good one. We thought they were pretty tasty. I always like to try something a little different. The puree in this one is beets.

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup beet puree (I just realized I put in half a cup of puree so maybe that is why the flavor was a bit strong. We thought it was still pretty tasty)

1 t. pure vanilla extract

1/2 t. cinnamon

1 cup pancake mix

1/4 cup grated apple

1 T vegetable oil

In a blender or food processor, combine the water, ricotta cheese, beet puree, vanilla, and cinnamon and blend. Dump the mixture into a medium bowl, add the pancake mix and apple, and stir until just combined. Do not overmix - the batter will be a little lumpy.

Coat griddle or nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set it over medium-high heat. When hot, add the oil. Spoon the batter onto the griddle or skillet, using about 1/4 cup batter for each pancake. Cook the pancakes until the batter is set, 1 to 2 minutes. Then flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the other side, 2-3 minutes. Serve warm, with syrup. Yum!

Applesauce Muffins

My friend gave me the cookbook Deceptively Delicious so I thought I would do a little series on the recipes we tried and liked. If you're not familiar with the cookbook it's a book based on sneaking veggies (by making purees) and fruits into recipes to add a few extra vitamins and minerals to your kids foods (Jessica Seinfeld is the creator of the cookbook...Jerry Seinfeld's wife). So if you have really picky eaters they may not enjoy these recipes because they do have different flavors that they may not like. I was looking for recipes of veggies that my kids normally don't eat...butternut squash, zucchini, spinach, beets. And since I'm making Ansley's babyfood, it was easy to use some of that for the purees. So this is the first recipe that we really enjoyed. It was a great breakfast treat!

TOPPING
2/3 cup old-fashioned oats
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 t. cinnamon
2 T butter

BATTER
1 1/2 cups flour (I always add flax seed to my recipes so I put 1/2 cup flax seed and 1 cup flour)
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butternut squash or carrot puree (I used butternut squash for this one)
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray cupcake pan or use paper liners. To make topping, stir together the oats, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Stir in butter. To make the batter, combine flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. In a second bowl, mix applesauce with milk, vegetable puree, sugar, oil, and egg with wooden spoon. Add the flour mixture slowly, stirring until just moistened. Do not overmix-the batter is supposed to be lumpy. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups and sprinkle with the streusel topping. Bake until the topping is lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cool and enjoy!

Birthday Quiche

Jason made me this quiche for my birthday and it was the best quiche I have ever had. I think the key ingredient is the feta cheese. He got it off the Internet and I don't know what the link is. But here's the recipe:

~ 1/2 cup butter
~ 3 cloves garlic, chopped
~ 1 small onion, chopped (sweet onions are best)
~ 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
~ 1 (4.5 ounce) can mushrooms, drained
~ 1 (6 ounce) package herb and garlic feta, crumbled (we just used regular feta)
~ 1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
~ salt and pepper to taste
~ 1 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust
~ 4 eggs, beaten
~ 1 cup milk
~ salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Saute garlic and onion in butter until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in spinach, mushrooms, feta and 1/2 cup Cheddar cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mixture into pie crust.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the pastry shell, allowing egg mixture to thoroughly combine with spinach mixture.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with remaining Cheddar cheese, and bake an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until set in center. Allow to stand 10 minutes before serving.

Baked Oatmeal

I just got this recipe from a friend of mine and it is delicious. It's a great make-ahead breakfast that is great for a Sunday morning because you make it the night before and then pop it in the oven in the morning. I put fresh blueberries in mine. Yum, yum!

BAKED OATMEAL

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats (NOT quick)
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher or sea salt

2 cups milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tsp vanilla
1 cup fruit (fresh blueberries, dried cranberries,,,)

Mix all dry ingredients together. Beat in the milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. Stir in the fruit. Spread into 9x9 baking dish. Cover and place in fridge overnight. Bake in preheated 350 over for 40 minutes. Cool slightly before eating. Refrigerate leftovers.
*For double recipe, use 9x13 baking dish.

flank steak

Lisa,

Could you put your famous flank steak recipe on here? I just bought a steak and realized I didn't have the recipe.

Spaghetti Squash

When my church family was bringing us meals after Ansley was born a family brought us a dinner of Spaghetti Squash. It was so tasty and I never got a chance to get the recipe from her. Well I was doing a bit of research on the Internet and found out that the squash is actually called a Spaghetti Squash. All this time I thought she shredded the squash into nice long strands when it turns out that the flesh of this squash naturally does that after it is roasted. So this is a sort of recipe but it's super easy and super healthy. Follow these directions on how to cook the squash.

- one spaghetti squash (recipe calls for a 3 lb squash, I could only find 1 lb squash...so I used 2)
- olive oil
-salt and pepper

- a jar of some type of marinara sauce or your favorite regular spaghetti sauce
- 2 links of sweet sausage (kielbasa) I put in pineapple sausage

Once your squash is roasted throw the rest of the ingredients together and heat it until everything is warmed up. This was great as leftovers too.

Harvest Bread

This was another recipe from my freezer meals book but I didn't freeze it. It's a very hearty sweet bread which is yummy for breakfast...even with the chocolate chips. Plus it has a little veggie and fruit in it...a meal all in one. :o)

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup egg substitute (or 3 eggs)
• 1/3 can of pumpkin (I just read this and realized I put the whole can in and it was still really good and very moist)
• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup buttermilk (or I used milk)
• 1 cup flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour (I didn't have this on hand so I used about 1/2 cup flax seed)
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1/2 t. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 t. ground ginger
• 1/4 t. ground cloves
• 3/4 cup chocolate chips (I never thought I would say this but a few less would be better)
• 1/2 walnuts, chopped

Spray loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg substitute, pumpkin, banana, and buttermilk. Add the flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves; mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour into prepared pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 1 hour and 5-10 minutes, until golden brown and the bread springs back when pressed.

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

I modified this recipe a little bit to make it my own - it was SUPER easy and got rave reviews from the fam.

EASY CHICKEN POT PIE

1 package of 2 premade pie crusts dried minced onion 1 lb frozen mixed vegetables salt and pepper to taste 4 tablespoons water to steam the vegetables 1 can of cream of chicken soup store-prepared rotisserie chicken Choose diced vegetables for even cooking. Peas, carrots, and potatoes make good additions. In a pinch, canned Veg-All style mixtures may be substituted. Bake one of the pie crusts according to the packaging directions. Shred the rotisserie chicken with a fork and remove the skin and the bones. Set it aside. Pour the vegetables, water, the salt and pepper, and the dried minced onions in a microwave-safe bowl. Put the bowl in the microwave until tender. Once the vegetables are done, combine the shredded chicken, the vegetable mixture and the can of cream of chicken soup in a large bowl. Pour the mixture into the cooked pie crust. Place the uncooked pie crust on top of the pie and cook on 420°F for 15 minutes; reduce heat to 375°F and continue to bake until lightly golden (about 20-30 more minutes).

Salmon Loaf with Cucumber Sauce

This is a favorite of mine that my mom used to make but I don't make very often because Jason doesn't like the sauce (the sour cream) and Salmon Loaf isn't the same without the cucumber sauce.

1 cup cracker crumbs (I used bread crumbs)

2/3 cup milk

2 T chopped onion

2 T butter/margarine, melted

1 egg, beaten

1 T lemon juice

dash of pepper

1 can (15 1/2 oz) Pink Salmon, drained flaked

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine first seven ingredients, stir in salmon. Shape into a loaf in greased shallow baking pan. Bake 50 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve with cucumber sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 chopped cucumber

1/2 t. lemon juice

1/4 t. dried dill weed

1/4 t. salt

Combine ingredients; mix well. Chill.

Sweet Potato Fries

We love sweet potato fries and they are a bit pricey in the grocery store. So we've tried to make them ourselves but they just turned out soggy. So I found this recipe and even though they look burnt and not so yummy...these are delicious!

1 large sweet potato (feeds about 3)
olive oil
salt
pepper

You can peel the skin off or leave it on...we like potato skin, so I left it on. Cut the potato into chunky slices. Throw into a bowl and add salt, pepper (to your taste) and about 1/4 cup olive oil. Toss to coat. Then with tongs or fingers place on a cookie sheet (make sure the potatoes aren't touching). Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes, then flip them over and cook for another 10 minutes....or if you're like me and forget to take them out when the timer went off, just cook them for about 20-25 minutes on one side. Either way they turn out great and are so yummy and sweet...without the brown sugar and marshmallows.

Summer Pasta - freezer meal

Okay Jess, one more freezer meal. :o) I thought of you when I saw this because you wanted recipes for summer time. This one sounds so yummy but I haven't tried it yet.

1 lb. cooked Italian sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups mozzarella cheese in 1/2 inch cubes
8 oz. plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 t. kosher salt
1 t. black pepper
1 lb. penne

Combine all ingredients except the pasta in a large bowl. Heat a large pot of water to boiling. Add the pasta and stir. Cook pasta until tender, 5 to8 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the ingredients in the bowl until the cheese is soft, about 3 minutes. Serve immediately. Hot pasta is the trick; it will heat all the other ingredients just enough to wilt the basil and soften the cheese.

*if you want to freeze it, drain the pasta and rinse with cold water. Toss the pasta with the ingredients in a freezer bag. Thaw before baking. Transfer to the prepared baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes until thoroughly heated and the mozzarella is soft and just starting to melt.

Baked Spaghetti - freezer meal

Okay this is the last freezer meal.

1 cup onion, diced
1 t. minced garlic
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes, with juice
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 t. dried basil
1 T dried oregano
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
6 oz. spaghetti
1 16oz. bag frozen meatballs
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups low-fat shredded cheese (your choice)
1 10 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
1 2.4 oz. can sliced black olives, drained

Combine onion, garlic, green pepper, tomatoes, mushrooms, basil, oregano, salt and pepper in bowl. Set aside. Place half of the cooked spaghetti in the bottom of the prepared baking dish (9x13 pan sprayed with cooking spray). Layer 6 meatballs and half of the vegetable mixture over the spaghetti in the baking dish. Sprinkle with half of the Parmesan and half of the shredded cheese. Repeat, beginning with the remaining spaghetti and ending with the vegetable mixture. Set aside. In bowl, combine the mushroom soup with an equal amount of water and pour over the baking dish. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan, shredded cheese and olives.

Cover with foil and freeze, or bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour covered and then 30 more minutes uncovered.

Kielbasa Bean Soup - freezer meal

2 cups potatoes 1/2 inch diced
2 10.5 oz. cans bean with bacon soup
2 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
3/4 lb. kielbasa sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. black pepper

It can be mixed and frozen in a gallon zip-lock bag or put straight into the crock pot for 5 to 6 hours on low.

BBQ chicken pizza

One night last week Mallory ordered us pizza from Papa Johns - he ordered a bbq chicken pizza and it was so good! I think I liked it b/c it tasted different. Well I decided to try to make one at home...this is a recipe I found online. We shall see how it turns out! :) I am ready for lighter meals with spring here and summer on the way. I am tired of soups and casseroles - so I am just looking for anything different.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 skinless, boneless chicken breast half
• 1/4 cup barbeque sauce, divided
• 1/2 cup marinara sauce
• 1 (16 ounce) package pre-baked pizza crust
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the sesame oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken breast in the skillet, and top with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce. Cook 10 minutes, turn, and top with 1 tablespoon barbeque sauce. Continue cooking 10 minutes, until juices run clear. Cool slightly, and cut into chunks.
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3. In a small bowl, mix the remaining barbeque sauce and marinara sauce. Spread evenly over the pizza crust. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Arrange cooked chicken chunks and red onion slices over the top.
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Remove from heat, sprinkle with cilantro, and let sit 10 minutes before slicing.

Quiche and home fried potatoes

Ok - this might be cheating - I found this recipe on an easy recipe website. I decided we would try this for dinner one night this week and then I decided to post it here so it would be easy for me to find the directions later when I go to make it. Also, I haven't posted anything in a million years and thought it would be fun - but my life is too crazy to come up with anything original to post...so...you can call me "The Cheat" (remember Homestar runner?). Anyways, I often have my laptop on the kitchen counter (hubby always gets a kick out of that) when I am making dinner b/c I am making one of y'alls fabulous recipes from this blog - so keep posting! I may keep cheating or get it together one of these days and post something original...no promises! :)

BACON AND CHEESE QUICHE
HOME FRIED POTATOES

Bacon and Cheese Quiche:

1 9 in. Pillsbury pie crust
1 T. butter
12 bacon slices, crumbled
1 bag mixed cheese
4 eggs
2 C. heavy cream
3/4 t. salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread crust into pie plate or quiche plate. Spread crust with butter. Sprinkle bacon and cheese on crust. Beat eggs w/ rest of ingredients. Pour into crust. Bake 15 minutes. Turn down to 325 degrees and bake 40 more min. Let stand 10 min.

Home Fried Potatoes:

4 red potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool cut into 1/2 inch cubes.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Add onion and green pepper. Cook, stirring often, until soft; about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Pour remaining 2 tablespoons of oil into the skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Add potato cubes, salt, paprika and black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are browned; about 10 minutes. Stir in the onions, green peppers and parsley and cook for another minute. Serve hot.

Sloppy Joes - freezer meal

Okay this is for those of you who have husbands that were born and raised in the South. As Jason would say "Meat -good. Biscuits - good. Cheese - good. Barbecue sauce - good." (any Friends fans out there?) Anyway, even for this non-Southern girl I really liked this one too.

2 cups biscuit mix
2/3 cup buttermilk (I just used milk)
1/4 cup egg substitute (or just one egg)
1 lb. ground beef, cooked
1 - 1oz. package of dry onion soup mix
1 cup marinara sauce
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 cup cheese blend

In bowl, combine the biscuit mix, milk, and egg. Stir together to form soft ball of dough. Press dough into bottom and sides of a pie plate. In separate bowl, combine ground beef, onion soup mix, and marinara and barbecue sauces until mixed. Spread mixture evenly over the dough in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.

Cover with plastic wrap and foil to freeze up to 3 months. Or preheat oven to 375 F and bake for about 45 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Baked Ziti - freezer meal

When my mom was here helping with the craziness of life with a newborn, she made a few freezer meals from the Dream Dinners cookbook. They have been great so I thought I would do a little series of freezer meals that we have eaten and really liked. These are great for make ahead meals or to bring to others that might need a meal. So this is the first one:

1 lb. ziti
1 t. dried rosemary
1 t. Italian seasoning
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cottage cheese
3 cups marinara sauce
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 cup onion chopped (I used dried)
4 t. minced garlic
3 slices provolone cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella

Spray 9x13 with nonstick cooking spray (I used the disposable tin). Cook pasta for 3 minutes. Drain and transfer to large bowl. Add rosemary, Italian seasoning, sour cream, cottage cheese, and marinara sauce, then stir. Transfer pasta mixture into 9x13. Cook ground beef, add onions, garlic until brown (about 10 minutes). Drain off excess fat. Sprinkle beef mixture over pasta. Top with provolone and mozzarella.

Cook at 350 F for 45 minutes covered with foil (make sure you remove the plastic wrap). Remove foil and bake until browned and bubbly, about 10 more minutes.

If freezing: wrap with plastic wrap and then foil. Label and date and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in frig the night before and pop into oven.

Chocolate Oreo Cheesecake

Just made this last week and it was by far, the best dessert I've ever made. I thought I'd share it with you girls.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (about 16 cookies)
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 20 chocolate cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, coarsely chopped

Directions: In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and butter. Press onto the bottom of greased 9-in. springform pan. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Fold in half of chopped cookies. Pour over crust. Sprinkle with remaining cookies. Place pan on a baking sheet.
Bake at 325° for 50-60 minutes or until center is almost set and top appears dull. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight. Yield: 12 servings.

Wassail

I know Wassail is traditionally a Christmas drink, but I ran out of time last month to post it.  And since it's so cold these days, I thought it might be a nice thing to have on one of these frigid nights. Or maybe just to file away for next year.  

This recipe is from Jeannie Wood, a lady we know from political circles.  I really like it because all the spice is contained nicely in the oranges, so there aren't a lot of pieces to have to worry about when you ladle it up.  And this is always a big hit at Christmas in Dixie.

3 medium oranges studded with whole cloves (just cloves stuck into the peel of the orange, I maybe put 12-15 or so cloves in each orange)

2 qts apple juice

2 cups pineapple juice

2 cups orange juice

11 oz can of apricot nectar (I can never find this so I substitute peach nectar)

1/3 cup lime or lemon juice

3/4 cups sugar

Combine juices and sugar and bring to a boil.  Add the oranges and simmer 20 minutes.

As a variation, you could probably add cranberry juice or cinnamon sticks to change the flavor a bit.