Valentine’s Day!

On this day some women get flowers, candy, jewelry but I got: PIZZA! (and breadsticks!) On the way home from church my dear husband asked me if I’d like to get pizza (of course I said YES!) so I happily chomped on Little Caesar’s $5 specials with breadsticks & garlic cream cheese – YUM! I’m a happy lady! (mind you, my husband is NOT a romantic and truly considers this day among others like Grandparents Day, Sweetest Day, etc. as holidays that are trumped up by the card & candy industries.)

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No-Bake Italian Cake

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 C. fresh lemon juice
1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained
32-40 vanilla wafers
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed
2 C. sweetened, flaked coconut
12-16 maraschino cherries
–
Line bottom of an 8 X 8″ or 7 X 10″ baking
dish with vanilla wafers. Whisk together
sweetened. cond. milk & lemon juice in
small bowl until thoroughly combined.
Mix in pineapple with juice. Pour all of
pineapple mixture over wafers then add
another layer of wafers on top. Spread
Cool Whip evenly on top of wafers then
sprinkle top with coconut. Top with
cherries. Cover & refrigerate at least 8
hours before serving.

(recipe; southyourmouth.com)
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Salmon with Brown Sugar Glaze

1 T. brown sugar
2 tsp. butter
1 tsp. honey
1 T. olive oil
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 – 3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 salmon fillet (2 1/2 lb)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
In small saucepan over medium heat,
cook & stir brown sugar, butter &
honey until melted. Remove from
heat; whisk in oil, mustard, soy sauce,
salt/pepper & let cool 5 minutes.
Place salmon in large foil-lined
baking pan; spoon brown sugar
mixture over fish. Bake, uncovered,
20-25 minutes until fish flakes
easily with a fork. Serves 8

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
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Creamy Chicken Gloria Casserole

2 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken
breasts (3 large, cut in half or 6 small)
1/3 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
2 T. olive oil
2 T. butter
8 oz. button mushrooms
1 (18 oz) can creamy mushroom soup
6 slices Swiss or Muenster cheese
3 T. finely chopped parsley
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 3 qt. baking dish with
nonstick spray. Place flour, salt/pepper
in a large ziplock bag. Drop in pieces
of chicken & shake to coat well. In
large skillet over medium heat heat oil
& saute chicken until golden brown,
about 5 min. per side without  moving*
Remove chicken to baking dish. In skillet
melt butter & add mushrooms – saute,
stirring once or twice, 3-5 minutes until
mushrooms begin to brown; add to soup
& stir to combine. Taste & adjust salt/
pepper as necessary. Pour sauce over
chicken in dish & lay a piece of cheese on
top of each piece of chicken. Cover with
foil & bake 30 minutes. Remove foil &
place briefly under broiler to brown the
cheese. Sprinkle top with parsley &
serve.

*”Do not move” – place chicken in hot
oiled pan over medium heat about 3
minutes before turning & repeating
with second side. Chicken will stick to
pan at first, but will pull away as it
browns.

(recipe: allfreecasserolerecipes.com)
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Mexican Pot Roast

(crockpot)

4 lb. lean, boneless chuck roast
2 T. olive oil
1 (14.5 oz) can whole tomatoes
1 (3 oz) can chopped green chilies
3 T. dry taco seasoning mix
` T. dry beef or chicken bouillon
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
–
cooked noodles or rice
–
Brown pot roast in olive oil in Dutch oven.
Place roast in crockpot. Combine tomatoes,
green chilies, taco mix, bouillon, sugar, both
powders; pour mixture over roast. Cover &
simmer on Low 3 1/2 – 4 hours or until roast
is tender. Serve with cooked noodles or rice.
Serves 4

(recipe: Peg-Slowcooker digest)
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Beef Lentil Soup

1 lb. ground beef
1 (46 oz) can tomato juice or V-8
1 C. dried lentils, rinsed
2 C. chopped cabbage
1 C. sliced carrots
1 c. sliced celery
1 C. chopped onion
1/2 C. diced green pepper
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt (optional)
2 beef bouillon cubes (optional)
1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen chopped
spinach, thawed
–
In large stockpot cook beef over
medium heat until no longer pink;
drain. Add tomato juice (V8), water,
lentils, cabbage, carrots, celery, onion,
green pepper, pepper, thyme, bay leaf,
salt & bouillon (if using). Bring to boil,
reduce heat & simmer, uncovered,
1 – 1 1/2 hours until lentils & vegetables
are tender. Add spinach & heat through.
Remove bay leaf & serve. Makes 6
servings.

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
—————————————–

Strawberry Pretzel Squares

2 C. finely crushed pretzels
1/2 C. sugar, divided
2/3 C. butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 pkg. (8 oz, ea) cream cheese,
softened
2 T. milk
1 C. Cool Whip, thawed
2 C. boiling water
1 (6 oz) pkg. strawberry Jell-O
1 1/2 C. cold water
4 C. fresh strawberries, sliced
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Mix pretzel crumbs, 1/4 C. sugar
& butter; press onto bottom of
9 X 13″ baking dish. Bake 10
minutes; cool.
Beat cream cheese, remaining
sugar & milk using elec. mixer
until blended. Stir in Cool Whip
& spread over crust. Refrigerate
until ready to use. Add boiling
water to Jell-O in large bowl; stir
2 minutes until completely
dissolved. Stir in cold water.
Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours until
thickened. Stir in berries; spoon
over cream cheese layer &
refrigerate 3 hours until firm.

(recipe: Kraft recipes)

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Going to church today was a bit of a
challenge – it was 2 degrees F.; the
church was about half full but I can
understand some of the older members
not wanting to go out in it – the good
thing is: IT’S SUNNY! (the above temp.
was at 8: 40 a.m. – it’s now 1:30 p.m.
and we’re up to a balmy 14 degrees F.
with a wind chill that feels like ZERO!
(can hardly wait for how cold it will
be getting out of church tonight around
7:15 p.m. – I’m sure it will be MUCH colder).
Thank heavens for a good car that runs &
starts even in really cold weather!

Keep warm, rest a little & enjoy your day!

Hugs;

Pammie

PS: Looking at the coming week, we are
supposed to get a high of 34 Monday
and 36 on Tuesday – so that’s a ‘little’
better!