Today is World-Wide Knit-in-Public Day!

Not my most ‘fashionable’ photo but it will do – had to wear the baseball hat to keep the sun off my head (I burn very quickly). It was a LOVELY day – nice, sunny with a great breeze – temps. around 75-78 degrees! TEN ladies joined me at Panera Bread on the patio – it was a fun time. (I’m working on the multi-colored baby blanket)

============

Strawberry Oat Crumb Bars

1 (15 oz) box yellow cake mix
2 1/2 C. quick-cooking oats
3/4 C. butter, melted
1 C. strawberry preserves
1 T. water
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Line a 9 X 13″ baking dish with
parchment paper & spray with
nonstick cooking spray. Mix cake
mix & oats in a large bowl; add
melted butter – stir until crumbly.
Press half of crumbs into bottom
of pan. Combine strawberry preserves &
water in a small bowl – stir until
combined then carefully spread over
crumb crust. Sprinkle remaining
crumbs over top & press down
gently. Bake 18-23 minutes until
very lightly brown. Cut & eat
warm or cold. Makes 24 bars

(recipe: momontimeout.com)
——————————

Ham, Cheese & Peach Tortellini Salad

1 lb. cheese tortellini, fresh or frozen
1 (16 oz.) bottle poppyseed dressing
1 (15 oz) can sliced peaches in juice
1 1/2 C. cooked ham, diced into
1″ cubes
1 (16 oz) block cheese, diced into
small chunks or cubes (your choice
of cheese)
2 C. chopped lettuce
–
Prepare tortellini accordg. to pkg.
directions -drain & rinse with cold
water just to cool slightly. In a bowl
or Mason jar, combine dressing with
4 T. of peach juice. Drain rest of juice
from peaches (if preferred, slice
peaches into thirds to make them
more bite-sized). Stir dressing well
(or, if using Mason jar, cover & shake
well). In large bowl combine cooked
tortellini, ham, cubed cheese & sliced
peaches – pour dressing over all &
gently stir. Stir in chopped lettuce &
gently stir. Serve immediately or cover
with plastic wrap & refrigerate. Serve
within 24 hours. Serves 10

(recipe: thecountrycook.net)
———————————

Pepperoni Pasta Salad

1 (16 oz) pkg. multicolored pasta
1 small can black olives
3 large carrots, peeled, cut into slices
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 bunch green onions, chopped
2 tomatoes (or 1/2 C. sun-dried tomatoes),
chopped
3/4 C. pepperoni, sliced/cut into bite-sized
pieces
1/2 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
2 T. olive oil
1 T. garlic powder*
1 tsp. sugar
salt/pepper, to taste
1/2 bottle Zesty Italian salad dressing
–
Boil pasta, rinse in cool water & drain.
In large bowl add chopped veggies &
pepperoni & cooked pasta – mix well.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour. Just before
serving add Ital. salad dressing & toss
to coat. Serves 10

*Poster used: Johnny’s Garlic seasoning

(recipe: jamiecooksitup.net)
——————————–

Creamy Eggplant Parmesan Casserole

1/2 C. panko bread crumbs
1 C. shredded Parmesan cheese, divided
1 (1 1/2 lb) eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch thick
slices
4 oz. cream cheese
3/4 C. milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 T. chopped fresh basil, divided
16 slices mozzarella cheese
(Kraft Slim-cut)
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment
paper. In shallow dish combine panko
crumbs & 1/4 C. Parmesan. (Reserve
2 T. mixture for later use). Spray both
sides of 1 eggplant slice with nonstick
cooking spray. Dip slice in remaining
bread crumb mixture, turning to evenly
coat both sides of slice then place on
prepared baking sheet – repeat with
rest of egg plant slices. Bake 30 minutes
until eggplant is tender & golden brown,
turning after 15 minutes.
–
In medium microwaveable bowl, microwave
cream cheese on High 40 seconds. Gradually
whisk in milk until blended – stir in garlic &
1/4 C. basil. Spread 1/4 C. mixture on bottom
of a 9-inch pie plate sprayed with nonstick
cooking spray. Top with layers: 1/3 of eggplant,
4 cheese slices, 1/4 C. remaining Parm. &
1/3 C. remaining cream cheese sauce – repeat
layers twice. Top with tomatoes, remaining
cheese slices & reserved crumb mixture.
Bake 25 minutes until heated through.
Sprinkle top with remaining basil.
Serves 6

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
—————————-

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chops

6 pork chops
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 T. minced garlic
1 T. unsalted butter
1/3 C. honey
1/2 C. chicken broth
2 T. rice wine vinegar (or apple
cider vinegar)
2 T. cornstarch
–
Season chops with salt/pepper & garlic
powder – place in crockpot. Mix garlic,
honey, broth & vinegar in a small bowl
& pour over chops. Cover & cook on
Low 4-5 hours until fork-tender. Remove
chops from crockpot & place on a plate –
cover with foil to keep warm.
In small bowl stir cornstarch & 2 T. cooking
liquid from crockpot until well blended –
stir into sauce in crockpot – Cook on Low
3-5 minutes until thickened. Serve chops
with sauce poured over top. Serves 6

(recipe: eatingonadime.com)
———————————

Taco Burgers
(grill)

1 C. finely crushed corn chips
1 envelope taco seasoning mix
1 T. dried minced onion
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 lb. ground beef
6 slices Cheddar cheese
6 sandwich buns, split
lettuce leaves
tomato slices
salsa (optional)
–
In large bowl combine corn chips,
taco seasoning (dry), onion & egg.
Crumble beef over mixture & mix well;
shape into 6 patties. Grill patties over
medium heat (covered) OR broil 4 inches
from heat 7-8 minutes on each side until
thermometer reads 160 degrees F. &
juices run clear. Top each burger with a
slice of cheese & cook until cheese melts.
Serve on buns with lettuce, tomato &
salsa, if desired. Makes 6

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
——————

Garlic Bread Meatball Subs

12 meatballs, fully cooked (frozen &
cooked or your own recipe)
3 C. spaghetti sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large loaf French bread cut
in half, lengthwise
soft butter
garlic powder
paprika
=
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Line a flat rimmed baking sheet
with foil & lightly spray with nonstick
cooking spray. In saucepan, combine
cooked meatballs & spaghetti sauce –
cook until sauce is hot. Spread desired
amount of soft butter on both sides of
bread; sprinkle with garlic powder &
paprika: bake 5-8 minutes until brown.
Slice bread into individual sandwich-
sized pieces. Place meatballs on top of
bread then sprinkle with mozzarella
cheese.
At this point you can place sandwiches
under broiler to melt cheese or just
let cheese melt naturally on sandwich.
Serve with sauce.

(recipe: ourtableforseven.com)
————————————-

Ro*Tel Queso Dip

1 (10 oz) can Ro*Tel Original Diced
tomatoes & green chilies, undrained*
1 (16 oz) pkg. Velveeta, cut into 1/2″
cubes
===
Dippers:
tortilla chips
crackers
cut up fresh vegetables
====
Combine Ro*tel & Velveeta in a medium
saucepan & cook over medium heat 5
minutes until cheese is melted completely
& mixture is blended, stirring frequently.
Makes 20 servings.

Microwave Version:
In a 1 1/2 qt. microwaveable dish
combine undrained Ro*Tel & Velveeta.
Cover & microwave on High 5 minutes
or just until Velveeta melts, stirring
after 3 minutes. Remove from microwave,
stir until mixture is blended.

To Double Recipe:

Microwave on High 8  minutes, stirring
after 5 minutes. Drain 1 can of tomatoes
if a thicker dip is preferred.

NOTE: You can make this into a Spicy
Sausage Queso dip by adding:
1/2 lb. mild country sausage, cooked/
drained

IF YOU LIKE IT SPICIER:
Can use Ro*Tel Hot Diced Tomatoes &
Green chilies AND Velveeta Jalapeno cheese

(recipe: readyseteat.com)
——————————–

Southern Peach Crumb Cake

Crumbs:
1 1/4 C. flour
1/3 C. light brown sugar, packed
1/3 C. granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 C. unsalted butter, melted

Cake:
1 1/2 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 lb. fresh peaches – room temp, peeled/
cored/sliced (about 3 medium sliced into
10 slices each)
3/4 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. unsalted butter, room temp.
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/3 C. sour cream
1/3 C. buttermilk

Vanilla Drizzle: (optional)
1/2 C. powdered sugar
1 T. Half & Half or milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla
=
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Crumbs:
In bowl whisk flour, brown sugar,
gran. sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
& salt until well blended (break any
clumps of brown sugar up with
fingertips). Pour in melted butter &
use spatula to fold mixture until
evenly moistened.
Cake:
In large bowl whisk flour, baking powder,
baking soda & salt for 20 seconds. In
another bowl, using elec. mixer, whip
butter & gran. sugar until pale & fluffy.
Mix in eggs, one at a time, adding in
vanilla with second egg. In small bowl
whisk sour cream & buttermilk together.
Add 1/3 of flour mixture to butter/egg
mixture – mix just until combined then
pour 1/2 buttermilk mixture & mix just
until combined. Mix in another 1/3 of
flour mixture – mix just until combined,
then remaining 1/2 buttermilk mixture.
Mix in last 1/3 of flour & mix until nearly
combined, remove bowl & scrape/fold
batter until just combined. Spray a 9″
spring form pan with nonstick spray &
pour in batter, smoothing evenly. Top
with sliced peaches then sprinkle crumb
mixture evenly over top. Bake 50-55
minutes (it shouldn’t jiggle or sink when
touched – toothpick inserted in center
should come out clean). Cool on wire
rack.
Vanilla Drizzle:
Whisk together drizzle ingredients until
well blended then drizzle over warm cake.
Add more Half & Half or  milk to thin as
desired, or more powdered sugar to thicken
if needed. Makes about 12 slices

(recipe: cookingclassy.com)

====================

My back is slowly getting better – am able to
walk upright again which makes me VERY happy!
Tonight’s dinner is Chicken Parmesan & Garlic
Butter Noodles – easypeasy & yummy.

Hope your day is going just exactly as you planned!

Hugs;

Pammie

Advertisements

and now we have PHLOX!

Every year at this time our backyard fills with LOTS of blooming Phlox – white, pink, purple – probably planted by the people who lived hear many years ago (we’ve been here since 1979). I love to watch the various flowers come to life from Spring to Summer; I’m NOT a gardener/planter, etc. – actually, if it be known, I’m pretty much a flower/plant KILLER! I have four nice succulents in my house; I’ve learned that they are about the only thing I really haven’t killed. One is a clay bowl of Bird’s Nest Sansevieria:

Two are Christmas Cactus (cacti?) which are barely holding on – haven’t bloomed since I bought them and one is some sort of outdoor succulent I bought last year and have no idea it’s name – it seems to really like being in a sunny window as it continues to grow larger – that’s the extent of my gardening ‘skills’.

I wrote last that I was going to attempt a fancy knit baby bootie pattern; after working on the BEGINNING of it for a good hour I realized these were going to be REALLY BIG booties – so, like I’m prone to do – I ripped them out & ditched the pattern. I seem to do best with my old ‘tried & true’ patterns. Worked on the current baby blanket for awhile and thought maybe I’d like to start another one. Went through all my yarns and really couldn’t come up with a good color ‘mix’ – yep – back they went until I feel ‘inspired’ again. (I’m kinda flaky that way – hehehe).

===============

Butterscotch Coffee Cake
(sometimes called Monkey Bread)

1 C. walnut pieces
2 (7.5 oz, ea) cans Pillsbury Country-style
biscuits
1/2 C. butter (or marg). melted
1 C. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 C. butterscotch chips
1/3 C. evaporated milk
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Spray a 9 inch round cake (or Bundt)
pan with nonstick cooking spray. Spread
walnuts on bottom. Mix cinnamon &
sugar in a shallow plate.  Place melted butter
in a shallow pie plate and dip each biscuit in
melted butter then roll in cinn/sugar mixture
& place in baking pan. Lap biscuits over each
other in the pan. (If any butter or cinn. mixture
is left over, sprinkle our pour over top of last
biscuits in pan). Bake 25-30 minutes.
While biscuits are baking, melt butterscotch
chips & milk together in a saucepan over Low
heat, stirring constantly. When biscuits are
done baking, remove from oven & pour
butterscotch mixture over top & let stand
about 5 minutes. Remove from baking pan
to a plate & serve.

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

Crockpot Full Chicken Dinner

cooking oil
4 bone-in chicken thighs
1 1/2 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, diced
1 lb. fresh green beans, ends snipped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce (not paste)
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
–
In large skillet over medium-high heat,
heat oil (enough to coat bottom of pan).
When oil is hot, brown chicken on both
sides (does not need to be cooked through
fully). Add potatoes & green beans to crockpot;
mix to combine. Add chicken on top of potatoes;
add garlic & drizzle tomato sauce over top.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme & rosemary –
using a spatula, smear around sauce to combine
seasonings with sauce. Cover & cook on High
4 1/2 hours. DO NOT open lid during cooking
time (or potatoes will not get tender).
Serves 4

(recipe: themagicalslowcooker.com)
—————————-

Chicken & Asparagus Quiche

2 9-inch pie crusts
2 T. butter
2 T. olive oil
1 T. minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed/cut
into 1 inch pieces
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
diced
3 eggs, beaten
1 C. Half & Half
1 tsp. dry mustard
salt/pepper, to taste
2 C. shredded Monterey Jack cheese,
divided
–
Preheat oven 450 degrees F.
Place pie crusts into two 9″ pie plates
& bake 10-12 minutes until lightly
golden.

Turn oven heat to 375 degrees F.
In large skillet melt butter &
olive oil over medium heat. Saute
garlic, onion & asparagus 5-7 minutes
until asparagus is crisp-tender. Using
a slotted spoon, remove vegetables
from skillet, leaving as much butter
mixture as possible. Add chicken to
skillet, saute 7-8 minutes until
fully cooked. Remove skillet from
heat. In a bowl whisk remaining
ingredients (except cheeses). Sprinkle
1/2 C. cheese in each pie crust. Layer
half chicken in each crust, followed by
half veggies & half egg mixture. Top
with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered,
30-35 minutes. Makes 2 quiche, each
serving 4-6

(recipe: gooseberrypatch.com)
————————-

Chili Cornbread Salad

1 (8 1/2 oz) pkg. cornbread/muffin  mix
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies, undrained
1/8 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. dried oregano
pinch rubbed sage
1 C. mayonnaise
1 C. sour cream
1 envelope dry Ranch salad dressing mix
2 (15 oz, ea) cans pinto beans, drained/
rinsed
2 (15 1/4oz ea) cans whole kernel corn,
drained
3 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 C. chopped green pepper
1 C. chopped green onions
10 strips bacon, cooked/crumbled
2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Spray a 8 inch square baking pan with
nonstick cooking spray.
Prepare cornbread batter accordg. to
pkg. directions. Stir in chilies, cumin,
oregano & sage – spread into prepared
pan & smooth evenly. Bake 20-25
minutes until a toothpick inserted into
center comes out clean. Cool
–
In small bowl combine mayo., sour cream &
dry dressing mix. In a 9 X 13″ baking dish
crumble half of cooled cornbread. Layer with
half of beans, mayo, corn, tomatoes, green
pepper, onions, bacon & cheese. Repeat
layers (dish will be very full). Cover & refrigerate
2 hours. Serves 15

NOTE: You can use prepared cornbread; just
stir chilies, cumin, oregano & sage into mayo
mixture.
– You can also add a diced jalapeno pepper (or
2) to the batter, if desired.

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
—————————–

(overnight) Bagel & Egg Casserole

5 (3 inch, ea) plain, split bagels
cut into 1-inch pieces
8 slices cooked, crumbled bacon
1 (8 oz) pkg (Kraft) Cheddar & Swiss
cheese, divided
8 eggs
2 1/2 C. milk
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 C. (Kraft) Philadelphia Chive & Onion
cream cheese
–
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with nonstick
cooking spray & spread bagel pieces on
bottom – top with bacon & 1 C. shredded
cheese. In a bowl whisk eggs, milk & pepper
until blended & pour over items in baking
dish. (If necessary, use the back of a spoon
to gently press tops of bagel pieces into egg
mixture so all pieces are evenly moistened).
Top with small spoonfuls of cream cheese;
sprinkle remaining shredded cheese on top.
Cover with foil & refrigerate overnight.
=
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Bake (covered) casserole 50 minutes until a
knife inserted into center comes out clean.
NOTE: uncover casserole after 40 minutes of
baking time.  Serves 8

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

7-Layer Green Salad
(overnight recipe)

1 small head lettuce, chopped into
bite-sized pieces
1 C. chopped celery
1/2 C. green onions, chopped &
tossed with celery to make 1 layer
2 C. frozen green peas (do not cook)
6 hard-boiled eggs, diced
1 lb. bacon, fried/crumbled
2 C. grated Cheddar cheese

Dressing:
2 C. mayonnaise
2 T. sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. seasoning salt (poster
used Lawry’s)
–
In a medium bowl mix together
all dressing ingredients.
In a 9 X 13″ baking pan Layer:
Lettuce
Celery & green onion
Frozen peas
Hard boiled eggs
bacon
dressing
cheese
–
Make sure dressing is spread over the
salad so that it completely covers it
& seals the edges. Sprinkle grated cheese
on top & cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate overnight. Serves 12

(recipe: sugar-n-spicegals.com)
——————————-

Weight Watchers Orange Fluff

1 (16 oz) tub small curd cottage cheese
1 (3 oz) box orange Jell-O
1 (15 oz) can mandarin oranges, drained
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed
2 C. miniature marshmallows
1/2 C. chopped pecans (optional)
–
Combine cottage cheese with dry
Jell-O – stir until well mixed. Add
oranges & Cool Whip – stir to combine.
Stir in marshmallows & nuts (if using).
Refrigerate to get cool – 1-2 hours
(if you were to eat it right away it
would taste grainy from the Jell-O).
Serves 10

(recipe: thecountrycook.net)
——————————
Cool ‘n Easy Strawberry Pie

1 (6 oz) ready-to-use graham
cracker crumb pie crust
2 C. fresh strawberries, cleaned/
divided
2/3 C. boiling water
1 (3 oz) pkg. strawberry Jell-O
ice cubes
1/2 C. cold water
1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed
–
Slice 1 C. strawberries & refrigerate.
Chop remaining strawberries & set
aside. In a large bowl add boiling water
to Jell-O mix – stir 2 minutes until
completely dissolved. Add enough
ice cubes to cold water to measure
1 C. – add to gelatin; stir until slightly
thickened (remove any unmelted ice).
Whisk in Cool Whip & stir in chopped
strawberries. Refrigerate 20-30 minutes
until mixture is very thick & will mound.
Spoon into crust & refrigerate 6 hours
until firm. Top with sliced berries just
before serving. Serves 8

(recipe: myfoodandfamily.com)

=====================

Have a great day!

Hugs;

Pammie

a little this & that . . .

It’s a slow day – not complaining, just stating facts. It’s colder (62 degrees F. with light showers & cloudy out) so it’s a good ‘stay-at-home’ day. I hadn’t heard from my son about babysitting this week so finally I texted asking if they needed me – turns out they are (as they put it) slammed at work – would I be able to do Saturday at 1 p.m.? (I usually don’t do weekends) – I thought “IF they’re really slammed, that means they need me” so . . . OK. Have NO idea how long that ‘session’ will be (hoping it will be kinda short), but we’ll see . . .

An rather BIG event in our family – the baby’s parents (My oldest & his girlfriend) finally decided on a haircut – youngest grandson turned 2 in February and his hair was REALLY long & curly – very cute but . . .

                                                         Before

 After (with my other 12 yr old grandson – his brother – that’s a sucker stick in older’s mouth)

They grow up!

===================

Flourless Toffee Peanut Butter Cookies

1 C. crunchy peanut butter
1 C. granulated sugar (plus more
for rolling)
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 C. Heath toffee bits
(extra sugar for rolling dough)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Line a large cookie sheet with
parchment paper. In medium
bowl combine peanut butter,
sugar, egg & vanilla; fold in
toffee bits until combined.
Using a cookie scoop, scoop
out dough to form 1 inch balls.
Place some sugar in a small
bowl & roll balls in sugar until
all sides are coated – place on
prepared cookie sheet. Gently
press tines of a fork on top
of cookie & repeat with tines
facing the opposite direction to
make a criss-cross pattern (OR
just use the palm of your hand
to flatten cookies slightly).
Bake 8-10 minutes until cookies
are lightly golden brown.
Makes 24 cookies
Store cookies in an air-tight
container.

(recipe: momontimeout.com)
—————————

Italian Pasta Salad

1 (12 oz) box tri-color rotini pasta
3/4 lb. Italian salami, finely diced
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 C. Italian salad dressing
1 (6 oz0 can sliced black olives
8 oz. small fresh mozzarella balls
3 (.7 oz, ea) pkgs. dry Italian-style
salad dressing mix (or to taste)
1/2 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
–
Cook pasta accordg. to pkg. directions;
to al dente (about 8 minutes); drain &
rinse with cold water until cool. Combine
pasta, salami, bell peppers, onion, salad
dressing, olives & mozzarella in large bowl.
Mix dry salad dressing into pasta & sprinkle
with Parmesan cheese. Serves 12

(recipe: allrecipes.com)
——————————-

Cashew Chicken w/Snow  Peas &
Mushrooms

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts,
cut into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 C. cornstarch
1/2 + 2 T. oil, divided
2 C. snow peas
8 oz. button mushrooms
1/2 C. cashews
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 slice fresh ginger (about 1 inch
in diameter)

Marinade:
4 T. soy sauce
2 T. dry sherry (OR) dry white wine
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. dark sesame oil

Stir-fry sauce:

2 C. chicken stock
3 tsp. dry sherry or dry white wine
1 T. soy sauce
1 tsp. dark sesame oil
4 T. cornstarch
=
Cooked rice for 4-6
=
Mix marinade ingredients in small bowl;
add chicken & toss. Let stand at room
temp. 1 hour. Drain, then place on
paper towels to absorb excess moisture.

Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Heat 1/2 C. oil over medium-high heat
in a deep skillet or wok. (Oil will shimmer
when correct temperature is reached).
Place 1/2 C. cornstarch in a plastic bag;
add chicken & toss to coat. Add chicken
to hot oil (do not crowd pan – you might
have to cook chicken in batches). Fry
2 minutes on each side; remove &
place on a plate on a paper towel. Discard
oil used for frying & wipe out pan. Add
remaining 2 T. oil to skillet/wok over
medium-high heat. Add garlic & ginger;
stirring constantly until garlic begins to
brown. Discard garlic & ginger. Place
mushrooms in hot skillet/wok – stir fry
until they begin to sear. Add chicken &
snow peas to pan -stir fry until snow peas
are bright green then add cashews. Stir
sauce again to dissolve cornstarch – add
to pan & stir constantly until sauce thickens.
Serve immediately over cooked rice.
Serves 4-6

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

Crockpot No Boil Mashed Potatoes

5 lb. small red or Yukon Gold
potatoes: peeled/quartered
(the smaller the better)*
3/4 C. chicken broth
2-3 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
1 to 1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1/2 C. sour cream
salt/pepper, to taste
——–
Poster used a 6 qt. crockpot, can
use 5-6 qt. size.
Place potatoes & chicken broth
in crockpot. Cover & cook on High
2-4 (or  Low 6-8 hrs). (they are
ready when they are fork-tender)
Uncover & add butter, cream
cheese, sour cream, minced garlic
salt/pepper. Mash ingredients together;
taste & adjust salt/pepper. (Can use
an elec. mixer IF your crockpot has
ceramic insides.

*If you’re leaving skins on, cut them a
little smaller

(recipe: recipesthatcrock.com)
———————————-

Sausage/Pepperoni Pizza/Pasta Casserole

1 1/2 C. shredded mozzarella
1 1/2 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 lb. dry pasta like: rotini, jumbo elbows,
rigatoni, penne
1 (24 oz) jar pasta (or marinara) sauce
(can also use pizza sauce, if desired)
1 T. butter
1 1/2 C. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 lb. minced andouille smoked
sausage, spicy or regular*
4 oz. sliced pepperoni
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray. Prepare
pasta accordg. to pkg. directions
for al dente – drain & toss with
1 C. pasta sauce. In skillet saute
onion in butter until softened; add
garlic & cook 1 minute. Add sausage;
cook until lightly browned; season
with Italian seasoning. Add half of
noodles to casserole dish; layer first
layer with half sauce, half onion/
sausage mixture & half of cheese.
Finish last layer with remaining pasta,
sauce, smoked sausage, cheese & top
with pepperoni. Bake, uncovered,
25-30 minutes until heated through.
Serves 4-6

*can substitute mild smoked sausage,
ground beef or turkey (if you use
turkey, add additional seasonings:
seasoning salt, poultry seasoning &
black pepper.

NOTE: You can also use your favorite
pizza toppings such as grilled chicken,
cooked bacon, sliced roma tomatoes,
chopped bell pepper, sliced jalapeno
peppers, mushrooms, sliced black
olives, extra onions/cheese.

(recipe: deepsouthdish.com)
————————–

Hummingbird Dump Cake

1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple in
juice, undrained
2 bananas, divided
1 (2 – layer size) spice cake mix
2/3 C. pecan halves, chopped
1 C. milk
4 oz ( half of a 8 oz pkg) cream cheese,
softened
3 T. powdered sugar
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray.
Drain pineapple reserving juice.
Remove 2 t. juice (reserve for later).
Pour remaining juice into sprayed
pan – add drained pineapple & mix well.
Reserve 1/2 banana for later use. Chop
remaining bananas & place over pineapple
in dish – sprinkle top with dry cake mix
then nuts – drizzle all with milk. Bake
30-35 minutes until lightly browned.
Cool 10  minutes.
Using elec. mixer in medium bowl beat
cream cheese, sugar & reserved pineapple
juice until blended. Cut reserved banana
half into 12 slices. Cut cake into 12 pieces.
Serve cake pieces topped with cream cheese
mixture & banana slices, adding about 1 1/2 T.
cream cheese mixture & 1 banana slice to
each piece of cake. Serves 12

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)

=======================

I’ve learned that sometimes in life you have to
challenge yourself to try/do new things. Since I
have (almost) 2 days before babysitting on Saturday
I decided to ‘attempt’ knitting a kind of fancy pair
of baby booties. These WON’T be used for a charity
(if they come out nice) – will probably use them for
a baby shower gift. The pattern isn’t difficult, but it
IS a bit ‘fussy’, meaning I really have to pay attention
to each stitch/row/count – we’ll see how this goes.
(If they turn out OK I’ll post a photo).

Not much else new for now; we had a quiet
Memorial Day – I made crockpot BBQ spare ribs,
macaroni & cheese, baked beans & homemade
strawberry shortcake. The guys liked the meal;
middle son commented that the ribs were like
‘candy’ – YAY!

Have a great day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Sometimes it’s all in one’s PERSPECTIVE!

Yesterday I was offered a bunch of yarn ‘to purchase’; this consisted of three medium-sized bags of various yarns. The friend who presented the ‘offer’ was just a go-between person who really didn’t know anything about yarn. She mentioned it came from her daughter-in-laws garage sale; I guess daughter-in-law thought there was some really good/valuable yarn there. Not calling myself a yarn ‘expert’ but I’ve been working with yarns now for a good thirteen-plus years (with various charity projects, etc.) and I’ve come to KNOW good yarn v/s really old/no longer produced yarns. In these bags were yarn I would not even pass on to my knit group ladies! Now comes the ‘fun’ part – how do I ‘tactfully’ tell my friend that? (I did, but it was a bit awkward). Like I said: It’s all in ones PERSPECTIVE, I guess!

===============

(this sounds SOoooooo good)

Butter Pecan Choc. Chip Cake
with Nutmeg Frosting

1 box Super Moist Butter Pecan
cake mix
1 (3.4 oz) pkg. vanilla instant
pudding & pie filling
2 large eggs
1 stick butter or marg., melted
2/3 C. water
2/3 C. chocolate chips
2/3 C. chopped nuts (poster used walnuts)
2/3 C. butterscotch chips
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray.
In large bowl mix dry cake mix, pudding
mix, eggs, butter & water. Fold in choc.
chips & nuts & spread in prepared dish.
Sprinkle butterscotch chips on top.
Bake 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven
& allow to cool.

Nutmeg Frosting:
1 can rich & creamy prepared
vanilla frosting
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring
1 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
–
Place frosting in a glass bowl/
container. Add vanilla & nutmeg –
microwave on High 30 seconds.
Mix well & pour over cooled cake.
Top cake with more nuts, if desired.

(recipe: thesouthernladycooks.com)
—————————-

Pepperoni Pizza Biscuit Bites
(appetizer)

1 (12 oz) tube biscuits (with 12
biscuits)
24 slices pepperoni
shredded mozzarella (or)
cheese sticks cut into small
pieces
about 1/4 C. pizza or tomato sauce
1/4 c. chopped green onions (can
use regular onions)
1 tsp. drie oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Spray a large baking dish with nonstick
cooking spray (poster used 10″ pie plate)
Cut each biscuit in half (you will have 24
halves) Roll each half as big as you can
get it using a rolling pin (or a glass). Spread
each half with pizza sauce, 1 slice pepperoni,
pinch shredded cheese & chopped onion.
Roll biscuit half up, tuck in ends & place in
prepared baking dish – repeat with rest
of biscuit halves & ingredients. Sprinkle
top with oregano & garlic powder. Spread
some pizza sauce on top & top with about
1/2 C. shredded cheese. Bake 20-25 minutes
until biscuits are cooked. Pull off pieces or
slice. Makes about 6 servings.

(recipe: thesoutherladycooks.com)
———————————

Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs

8 bone-in chicken thighs
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. chili pepper
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. paprika
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with foil &
spray with nonstick cooking spray.
Add all spices to a small container
with a lid & shake until thoroughly
mixed – sprinkle mixture over
chicken. Place thighs on baking
sheet & bake 1 hour – until crispy.
(fully cooked, they should read
165 degrees F. on a food thermometer).
Serves 4 (2 thighs each)

(recipe: thesouthernladycooks.com)
——————————
Greek-style Potatoes

6 large russet potatoes
1 T. semolina flour

Seasoning Sauce:
3/4 C. olive oil
3/4 C. water
1 T. oregano
juice of 2 lemons
3 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Spray large roasting or baking pan
with nonstick cooking spray. Peel
potatoes & cut into wedges about
1/4″ thick – lay potatoes in a single
layer on pan. Mix all sauce ingredients
in small bowl – pour evenly over potatoes
in pan & toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with
half of semolina flour –
Bake 40 minutes until potatoes begin to
golden & are crunchy on top. Carefully
turn potato wedges & sprinkle with
remaining semolina. Bake 20-30 minutes
longer or until golden & crunchy on top
side. Serves 6

(recipe: bakeatmidnite.com)
———————————

Crockpot Taco Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef
1 oz. pkg. dry taco seasoning mix
8 burrito-sized flour tortillas
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened/
divided
2-3 C. shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce, divided
(optional: favorite taco toppings like
grated/shredded Cheddar cheese)
–
In large skillet over medium-high heat
cook ground beef; drain. Add taco seasoning
& water – according to pkg. directions.
Lightly spray insides of crockpot with
nonstick cooking spray. Place 2 tortillas in
crockpot so they cover the bottom & come
up sides some. Spread 1/4 of cream cheese
over tortillas; top with 1/4th of meat, cheese
& tomato sauce. Repeat layers 3 more times.
Cover & cook on Low 3-5 hours. Serve with
your favorite taco toppings & cheese.
Serves 8-10

NOTE: make sure cream cheese is softened

(recipe: recipesthatcrock.com)
————————

3-Bean Baked Beans

1/2 lb. ground beef
5 strips bacon, diced
1/2 C. chopped onion
1/3 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. ketchup
1/4 C. BBQ sauce
2 T. molasses
2 T. prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 (16 oz, ea) cans pork & beans,
undrained
1 (16 oz) can butter beans, rinsed/
drained
1 (16 oz) can kidney beans, rinsed/drained
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 2 1/2 qt. baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray.
In large skillet cook & crumble beef with
bacon & onion over medium heat until
beef is no longer pink; drain. Stir in sugars,
ketchup, BBQ sauce, molasses, mustard,
chili powder & salt – stir to combine. Stir
in beans & transfer to prepared dish.
Bake, covered, until beans reach desired
thickness, about 1 hour. Serves 12

Freezer option:
Freeze cooled bean mixture in freezer
containers. To use: partially thaw in
fridge overnight. Heat through in a
saucepan, stirring occasionally &
adding a little water, if necessary.

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
——————————-

Cheesy Garlic Cauliflower Casserole

1 large head cauliflower, chopped into
bite sized pieces
1 C. shredded Parmesan/Asiago/Romano
cheese (it comes in one container)
1 C. light sour cream
3 T. butter
1 T. minced onion
2 T. garlic powder
1 C. Garlic & Herb bread crumbs
(Cheddar cheese, shredded, optional
topping)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a casserole dish with nonstick
cooking spray.
Bring large pot of water to boil & add
cauliflower – boil until tender, about
10 minutes; drain. Add sour cream,
cheese, butter, garlic powder & minced
onion – stir until cauliflower is covered &
butter is melted – pour into prepared
casserole dish & add bread crumbs on top.
(poster added a little bit of shredded
Cheddar cheese before baking).
Bake 30-35 minutes. Once baked, stir
well to mix in the crunch of the bread
crumbs.

(recipe: thesouthernladycooks.com)
————————————

Cookie Cups

1 (18-20 oz) pkg. refrigerated
cookie dough, any flavor
assorted fillings (prepared
pudding or pie fillings)
or fresh cut fruit
whipped cream or Cool Whip
(thawed) for topping
–
Freeze packaged dough 1 hour
until firm.
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Turn a regular sized muffin tin
UPSIDE DOWN & spray bottoms
with nonstick spray. Slice firm
dough into 1/2 inch slices & place
a slice evenly onto each muffin cup
bottom. Bake 11-13 minutes until
dough has baked around cups &
turned golden brown. Cool cups
5-10 minutes before carefully
removing from pans.

NOTE: Cups are VERY delicate,so
remove them gently. If any break,
just eat them as plain cookies.
Fill cups with pie filling or fresh-
cut fruit & whipped cream.

(recipe: mrfood.com)

===================

Turns out yesterday we DIDN’T get the
really bad thunderstorms – YAY! As far
as I know it was just rain! Just got an
email from our power company letting
us know their crews are on stand-by in
case of severe thunderstorms for THIS
afternoon – oh, great . . . sigh. Oh well,
I didn’t have anything special planned
for today/tonight, anyway!

Not much ‘exciting’ going on – babysitting,
special needs group, library knit group –
my ‘usual’.  The lady in my Panera group
that delivers the baby booties for us will
be gone until mid-June so we just keep on
knitting them. I counted today: 54 pairs.
You KNOW there will be lots more before
she’s back! I like knitting them – they knit
up fast (1 hr per pair – at least when I knit
them); they don’t use a lot of yarn (and I
still have a BUNCH of donated baby yarn
for them) and because they’re small, I can
knit them in the car while riding to & from
church Sundays while husband drives! Score!
(Keeps me busy & out of trouble – at least
that’s what my guys here say!)

Hope you’re having a great day!

Hugs;

Pammie

Happy Thursday!

It’s another BEAUTIFUL Spring day here in Michigan – temps are supposed to get to High of 74 degrees F. WOW! It’s sunny, slight breeze and lovely robin’s egg blue skies – LOVE THIS WEATHER!

Today is an unusual babysitting day – had to be there by 7:30 a.m. and was supposed to sit until around 10:30. After about an hour Momma came home – turns out no one told her that there was no managers meeting this morning! Oh well, at least she has some extra time at home (I have to go back at 2 p.m. until my son gets home- anywhere from 4:30 – 7 p.m.) Just glad I got extra time off! (Grandson was very good but listening to kid’s TV for hours is really mind numbing!). Started a new baby blanket using a pattern I’d done years ago – simple 2- row pattern, easy to knit while chatting at both knit groups.

=============

Fresh Blueberry Cheesecake

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 8 X 8″ baking pan with
nonstick cooking spray.

Crust:

1 C. graham cracker crumbs
1/2 C. rolled oats (can use quick-cooking)
1/2 C. chopped walnuts or nuts of your
choice
2 T. brown sugar
1/2 C. butter or marg. (8 T.), melted
–
Combine all crust ingredients & press
into prepared pan. Bake 10-12 minutes;
allow to cool.
=
Cream Cheese Filling:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed
milk (not evaporated)
1/3 C. lemon juice
1 tsp. vanilla
–
Combine filling ingredients in a large
bowl & mix (using elec. mixer on High
speed) 3-4 minutes. Pour over cooled
crust. Refrigerate 3 hours.
=
Fresh Blueberry Topping:

2 C. fresh blueberries (could use frozen)
(NOTE: can use any fruit)
1/2 C. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 C. water
1 T. lemon juice
–
Combine all blueberry topping ingredients
(except lemon juice) in a saucepan & bring
to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook 2 minutes
to thicken; remove from heat, stir in lemon
juice & allow to cool. Pour over cheesecake
after it has been refrigerated 3 hours.
Serves 10-12
Keep refrigerated.

(recipe: thesouthernladycooks.com)
———————————

Lazy Day Lasagna

1/2 (25 oz) bag frozen cheese ravioli
1/2 lb. ground beef, browned/drained
2 (14 or 15 oz) cans crushed tomatoes
1/2 T. Italian seasoning
1/2 T. garlic salt
2 C. mozzarella cheese
1/4 C. Parmesan cheese (optional)
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9 X 9″ baking dish with
nonstick spray. After cooking/draining
beef, stir in tomatoes & seasonings.
Place a layer of ravioli on bottom of
prepared pan & spoon half of sauce
over top. Layer half mozz. cheese &
repeat: ravioli/sauce/cheese. End
topping with Parm. cheese. Bake
35-45 minutes until bubbly.
Remove from oven & let stand 10-15
minutes before serving. Cut & serve.
Serves 3-4

NOTE: recipe can easily be doubled –
bake in 9 X 13″ pan.

(recipe: eatingonadime.com)
——————————-

Cheesy Garlic/Ham Biscuits

2 C. flour
2 T. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 stick butter or marg., cut into
pieces
1 1/2 C. cooked, chopped ham
1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese (or
any cheese of your choice)
1 1/4 C. evaporated milk (can also
use buttermilk instead)
–
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick
cooking spray.
In a large bowl mix flour, baking
powder, salt, garlic powder using a
whisk. Cut butter pieces into flour
mixture until it resembles coarse
crumbs. Add ham, cheese & milk –
mix with a spoon & turn out onto
a floured board. NOTE: Poster does
NOT roll this out – just pats the dough
using her hands to the desired
thickness. She uses a small cookie
cutter instead of a regular biscuit
cutter. Bake 15-20 minutes until
brown on top.

(recipe: thesouthernladycooks.com)
—————————

Crockpot Garlic Rice & Chicken

4 T. butter
1 C. diced onion
1 T. minced garlic
2 C. uncooked brown rice
3 C. chicken broth
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken
breasts
1/2 C. shredded or grated Parmesan
cheese
1 large bunch asparagus; washed/cut
into 1″ pieces*
==============
Heat a pan over medium heat on stove;
add butter & melt. Add onion – saute
4-5 minutes. Add garlic & saute 20-30
seconds. Add rice & stir to coat rice in
butter & onions – place in crockpot.
Stir chicken broth, basil, garlic powder,
salt/pepper into crockpot. Nestle chicken
in crockpot. Cover & cook on High 2-3 hours
until rice is tender. Remove chicken & cut
into bite-sized pieces – stir back into crockpot.
Stir in cheese & asparagus – cover & cook
on High 10 minutes until asparagus is cooked.
When asparagus is to your softness, serve.
Serves 6

*Can substitute broccoli florets- cut into small
florets so they can cook quickly. (can also use
frozen broccoli – run hot water over it before
adding to crockpot.

(recipe: 365daysofcrockpot.com)
———————————

Crockpot Lasagna Soup

1 lb. Italian sausage
1 medium yellow onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (29 oz) can crushed tomatoes,
undrained
1 (14.5 oz) can tomato juice (or
V8)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. dried marjoram
1/2 tap. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary
1 whole bay leaf
2 T. brown sugar
2 C. chicken stock
10 oz. lasagna noodles, broken
up into bite-sized pieces
2 C. Ricotta cheese
1/2 C. shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 C. shredded Parmesan cheese
–
In large skillet cook & crumble sausage,
onion & garlic until sausage is no longer
pink & onions start to become translucent,
drain. Add sausage mixture, spices, canned
tomatoes, tomato juice & chicken broth
to 5 qt. or larger crockpot. Cover & cook
on Low 5 hours. Remove bay leaf & discard.
Add broken lasagna noodles & cook an
additional 1 hour until noodles are al dente.
In mixing bowl combine Ricotta, mozzarella &
Parmesan cheeses. Top servings of soup with
1 spoonful of cheese mixture before serving.
Serves 8

(recipe: crockpotladies.com)
————————————-

Pork Chop Marinade
(stove or grill recipe)

4 bone-in pork chops
–
1/3 C. soy sauce
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. brown sugar
2 T. olive oil
1 T. lemon juice
1/4 C. black pepper
–
Mix all ingredients in a dish. Place
chops in a large zip-lock bag – pour
in about 3/4ths of marinade (save
rest for basting). Squeeze out excess
air in bag & refrigerate at least 1 hour
(or up to 8 hours).
=
Cook chops on a grill or in a pan on
medium-high heat about 4-5 minutes
per side, until internal temp. of chops
is 145 degrees F. Baste after flipping
chops & after removing from grill.
When chops are done, place on a plae
& tent with foil. Let rest 3-5 minutes
then serve. Serves 4

(recipe: realhousemoms.com)
——————————
Cinnamon Roll Poke Cake

Cake:

1 box white cake mix PLUS ingredients
to prepare cake
–
Filling:

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
4 T. melted butter
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch kosher salt
–
Frosting:

1/2 C. heavy cream
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
4 T. butter, softened
1 C. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
pinch kosher salt
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray. Prepare
cake accordg. to pkg. directions.
Pour batter into prepared pan &
bake 20 minutes, until a toothpick
inserted into center comes out clean.
Cool.
–
Filling:
In medium bowl whisk sweetn’d cond’
milk, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon &
salt.

Frosting:
In large bowl using elec. mixer, beat
heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
In another large bowl beat cream cheese &
butter together until no lumps remain. Add
powdered sugar & beat until smooth. Add
in vanilla & pinch salt – fold in whipped
cream until just combined. Using bottom of
a wooden spoon, poke holes all over cake.
Pour filling over & use a rubber spatula
to push into holes. Frost with cream cheese
frosting.
Refrigerate 20 minutes before serving.
Serves 12

(recipe: delish.com)

================

Hope you had a great Mother’s Day –
we went out to dinner – food was
very tasty (I was stuffed!) and it was
really nice to just sit around with family
and enjoy their company. The baby was
GREAT – for 2+ years old he sat for over
2 hours in a high chair; all the servers &
managers kept coming over to ‘chat’ with
him so he was having a great time ‘holding
court’. The restaurant even gave all
mothers a long stemmed red rose! Very
nice!

Hoping you have a very nice day –
remember to take a little time for
yourself!

Hugs;

Pammie

Friday

It’s been a rather quiet week – only babysitting today for a few hours (or so I thought . . . ). I’m due at 2 today (until around 6) but got a text asking if I can do it again tomorrow from around 10:30 – 3/4/6? Oldest son (the chef) is in the middle of launching another Hilton restaurant in Lansing so he’s drawn to working lots of extra hours (it’s a 1 1/2 hr. drive from his house to Lansing). Looks like I’ll be taking a LOT of knitting with me both days . . . sigh. Am nearing the end of the yellow baby blanket and am STILL vacillating over my next blanket/project. I have lots of different colors of baby yarns – one minute I want to do a various granny squares blanket, the next something different – who knows? (Not even ME at this point!)

=============

No-Bake Choc. Chip Cannoli Cheesecake

1 (4 oz) pkg. cannoli shells
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs
1/3 C. butter, melted

Filling:

2 (8 oz, ea) pkgs. cream cheese,
softened
1 C. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. grated orange zest
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 C. ricotta cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. rum extract
1/2 C. miniature semisweet chocolate
chips (can use regular chips, coarsely
chopped)
chopped pistachios, optional
–
Spray a 9 inch pie plate with
nonstick cooking spray.
Place cannoli shells in food processor &
pulse until coarse crumbs form. Add sugar,
cracker crumbs & melted butter – pulse
just until combined. Press mixture onto
bottom & sides of prepared plate –
refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
–
Filling:

Beat first 4 ingredients in a bowl until
blended. Beat in ricotta cheese & extracts.
Stir in chocolate chips & spread into crust.
Refrigerate, covered, until set – about 4
hours. (if desired, top with chopped
pistachios). Serves 8

NOTE: Pistachios are classic in cannoli but
if you don’t have them you can still top
pie with additional crumbled cannoli
shells or chocolate shavings.

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
—————————-

Orzo w/Spinach, Mushrooms &
Peppers

1 C. uncooked orzo pasta (about
8 oz)
1 T. olive oil
1 medium sweet orange pepper,
seeded/chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper,
seeded/chopped
1 medium sweet yellow pepper,
seeded/chopped
1 C. sliced fresh mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 C. fresh baby spinach
1/2 C. grated Parmesan cheese
–
Cook orzo accordg. to pkg.
directions; drain. In large
skillet, heat oil over medium-high
heat. Saute peppers & mushrooms
until tender. Add garlic & seasonings;
cook & stir 1 minute. Stir in spinach
until wilted. Stir in cooked orzo &
cheese; heat through. Serves 6

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
——————————

Backwoods Pork Chops & River Gravy

1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
4 (4 oz) boneless center-cut pork chops
1/2 C. flour
1/4 C. buttermilk
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 T. vegetable oil
3/4 C. milk
–
In small bowl combine garlic & onion
powders, 1/2 tsp. salt & pepper. Rub
seasoning mixture evenly on both
sides of chops. Reserve 1 T. flour &
set aside. Place remaining flour in a
shallow dish. In another shallow dish
combine buttermilk & cayenne pepper.
Dip chops in buttermilk then coat
both sides in flour. In large skillet over
medium heat, heat oil. Add chops &
cook 5 minutes on each side until
golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Whisk
reserved flour into milk; add remaining
salt & cook in skillet until thickened &
bubbly, stirring constantly. Serve
immediately with chops. Serves 4

(recipe: mrfood.com)
————————————–

Chicken & Swiss Casserole

5 1/2 C. uncooked egg noodles
(about 1/2 lb)
3 T. olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
3 small cloves garlic, minced
1/3 C. flour
2 C. chicken broth
3/4 C. milk
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
3/4 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. black pepper
5 C. cooked,cubed rotisserie chicken
1 1/2 C. frozen peas
2 C. shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 C. dry bread crumbs
2 T. butter, melted
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray.
Cook noodles accordg. to pkg.
directions; drain. In large skillet
heat oil over medium heat. Cook
shallots & garlic, stirring, 45 seconds.
Stir in flour – cook & stir 1 minute.
Add broth, milk, thyme, lemon zest,
salt, nutmeg & pepper. Stir in chicken
& peas -heat through. Stir in noodles &
cheese. Transfer mixture to prepared
dish. In small bowl mix bread crumbs &
butter; sprinkle over top & bake 8-10
minutes until top is browned. Serves 8

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

Crockpot Sweet & Sour Shrimp

1 (6 oz) pkg. frozen Chinese pea pods
1 (14 oz) can pineapple tidbits or chunks*
2 T. cornstarch
3 T. sugar
1 C. chicken stock
*1/2 C. reserved pineapple juice
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1 (16 oz) bag frozen cooked shrimp
(medium or large)
2 T. cider vinegar or rice vinegar
=
1 C. cooked rice, for serving
=
Place pea pods in a colander & run cold
water over them until thawed enough
to easily separate. Drain pineapple juice
& reserve 1/2 C. of juice. Place pea pods
& drained pineapple into crockpot. In a
small saucepan combine cornstarch &
sugar-stir to blend. Add chicken stock,
reserved pineapple juice, soy sauce &
ginger – bring to a boil over high heat.
Cook about 1 minute, stirring constantly;
sauce should be thick & clear. Pour sauce
over pea pods & pineapple – stir gently
to blend. Cover & cook on Low 3-4 hours.
Add thawed, cooked shrimp & cook 15-20
minutes longer until hot. Add vinegar &
stir gently. Serve with hot cooked rice.
Serves 3-4

(recipe: thespruceeats.com)
———————————

Crockpot Crustless Pizza

2 lb. ground beef
garlic salt – to taste
black pepper – to taste
dried minced onion – to taste
2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 (14 oz) jar pizza sauce
2 C. shredded pizza-blend cheese
–
your favorite pizza toppings
–
In a skillet brown beef & seasonings
over medium-high heat; drain. Place
cooked meat & mozzarella in a bowl &
mix well. Spray insides of crockpot with
nonstick cooking spray. Evenly spread
meat mixture in crockpot & pour pizza
sauce over top – spread evenly. Top with
pizza-blend cheese & any toppings you
may want. Cover & cook on Low 4 hours.
Serves 10

(adapted from Gooseberrypatch recipe)

(recipe: recipesthatcrock.com)
———————————

Blueberry Breakfast Bundt Cake

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
3/4 C. vegetable oil
3/4 C. sour cream
1 C. fresh or frozen blueberries
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a bundt pan liberally with
nonstick cooking spray. In a bowl
mix all ingredients except berries –
add berries last, fold in gently.
Pour batter into prepared pan &
spread to even top. Bake 55
minutes or until center is firm.
Let cool 10 minutes then turn
onto a platter. Glaze if desired.

Glaze:
2 T. melted butter
1 C. powdered sugar
1 T. orange juice

Mix glaze ingredients in a bowl &
drizzle glaze across top of cake.

===================

You can tell we FINALLY have Spring in Michigan-
they are selling flowers for planting! I bought a
really nice, big hanging basket geranium today
at Krogers – it’s a multi-color: bright pink with
a darker pink center – very nice. It’s in the 50’s
today & overcast/sprinkling – looking at the
upcoming week – highest temp. is 62 degrees F.
Oh well . . . and mostly raining.

Mother’s Day is Sunday so hope you have something
planned. I never know, year to year, what’s up. Usually
my oldest son decides to take me (and his girlfriend/
mother of our youngest grandson) out to lunch so
I have that to look forward to sometime soon.

Hope you are in good health and able to see
some SUNSHINE to cheer you up!

Hugs;

Pammie

 

PS: Gas prices jumping back & forth from $2.69/9 & $2.79/9 lately

and we have BUNNIES – again!

Every Spring I look forward to seeing if I can spot our bunnies – these are wild bunnies that (usually) live in our yard in a space that used to be a garden – lots of wild blackberry bushes have taken over the area so they are well protected from predators. I saw one this morning – looking all fat & healthy (probably an adult) – just seeing them makes me happy.

Our weather has been really nice – yesterday it was SUPER sunny and got up to 71 degrees F. – YAY!!! (the rest of the week our forecast is for rain, but hey – we need that for the flowers, right?)

===========

I missed posting Cinco de Mayo recipes – so here’s a few, anyway

Double-Lemon Cheesecake Bars

52 Vanilla wafers, finely crushed,
about 2 C.
3 T. butter or marg., melted
4 eggs, divided
4 (8 oz, ea) pkgs. cream cheese,
softened
1 3/4 C. sugar, divided
3 T. flour
1 T. lemon zest AND
1/3 C. lemon juice (from 2 lemons),
divided
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 C. water
–
Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
Line a 9 X 13″ baking dish with foil – ends
extending over sides (to use as handles).
In a bowl mix wafer crumbs & butter until
blended. Press onto bottom of pan & bake
10 minutes. Separate 1 egg; refrigerate yolk
until ready to use. Beat cream cheese, 1 C.
sugar, flour, lemon zest, 2 T. lemon juice &
vanilla in large bowl with elec. mixer until
blended. Add egg white & remaining 3 whole
eggs, one at a time, mixing on Low speed after
each – just until blended – pour over crust.
Bake 40 minutes until center is almost set.
Cool 1 hour & refrigerate 4 hours.
=
Mix cornstarch & remaining sugar in medium
saucepan; gradually stir in water & remaining
lemon juice just until blended. Bring just to a
boil on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook
& stir until clear & thickened. Lightly beat reserved
egg yolk in small bowl with fork until blended.
Stir in 2 T. hot cornstarch mixture & return to
remaining cornstarch mixture in saucepan; stir
until blended. Cook 1 minute until thickened,
stirring constantly. Cool slightly.
Spoon lemon glaze over cheesecake. Refrigerate
1 hour until firm. Using foil as handles, remove
cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.
Makes 16

(recipe: kraftrecipes.com)
—————————-

Crockpot Mexican Taco Casserole

1 lb. ground beef or turkey
1/2 onion, chopped (optional)
1 C. corn
1 can black beans, drained/rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes w/green chilies (aka: Rotel)
1/2 envelope dry taco seasoning
garlic salt, to taste
2 C. cooked rice (poster used brown rice)
8 oz. shredded cheese (poster used Cheddar)
–
In skillet brown meat; add onions, taco seasoning,
tomatoes, beans & corn – stir to combine.
Spray insides of crockpot with nonstick cooking
spray. Spread cooked rice on bottom of crockpot &
sprinkle with garlic salt. Spoon meat mixture over
rice & top with cheese. Cover & cook on High
2-3 hours. Serves 10

NOTE: for some crunch, add crushed tortilla
chips on top before serving.

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

(this next recipe my son (the chef) makes for holidays – really tasty – he drizzles honey over the brie before wrapping then does the rest of steps – no jam)

Baked Brie w/Phyllo Dough & Jam
(appetizer)

6 sheets phyllo dough (14 X 18″ size)
1 stick (8 T.) butter, melted
1 lb. round brie cheese
4-6 T. preserves or jam (your choice;
suggestions: peach, strawberry, apricot)
–
crackers for serving
=
Preheat oven 425 degrees F.
Have on hand: a clean, dry dishcloth or
towel (needed to keep phyllo from drying
out).
Unroll phyllo & lay 1 sheet of dough onto a
large cutting board. Using a pastry brush,
brush dough with melted butter. Wrap phyllo
around brie (you can use more butter to get
folds to stick around brie). Brush next sheet
of phyllo with butter & place wrapped brie,
fold side down, in center of second phyllo
sheet – wrap around brie – repeat until you
have wrapped 5 sheets of phyllo around
cheese, always turning cheese over each
time so that folds are on the bottom.
Brush a generous amount of butter on 6th
sheet of phyllo. Spread jam across top of
wrapped brie – gently place phyllo over jam,
butter side down, being careful not to tear
the dough. Finish wrapping brie with dough,
folding edges underneath brie & using
additional butter, as needed, to smooth
phyllo folds around cheese. Brush additional
butter on top.
Place wrapped brie on a round baking pan or
cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes until lightly
brown. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.
Serve with crackers for dipping.

(recipe:  afamilyfeast.com)
——————————

1-Pot Mexican Chicken & Rice

5 chicken thighs, bone in/skin on
1 yellow onion, diced
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 T. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 T. olive oil
1 C. white rice, uncooked
1 T. minced garlic
2 C. chicken stock
1 C. salsa
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
optional garnish: chopped parsley
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Heat cast iron skillet on High heat.
Season chicken with garlic powder,
chili powder, cumin, oregano, paprika,
salt & cayenne pepper. Place chicken,
skin sides down, in skillet & cook
4-5 minutes until browned – flip &
cook 3-4 minutes on other sides.
EITHER: remove chicken to a plate,
(OR) push chicken to sides of skillet:
Add olive oil & heat to medium-high.
Add onions & cook 3-4 minutes. Once
onions are mostly cooked, add garlic &
cook 30 seconds while stirring. Add
uncooked rice, salsa & bell pepper –
cook 1 minute unitl boiling. Pour in
chicken stock & place chicken back in
skillet, skin sides up. Cover & bake
35-40 minutes. Serves 5

(recipe: yummly.com)
———————————–

Cheesy Beef Enchiladas

8 corn or flour tortillas
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 C. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 (4 oz) can fire-roasted chopped
green chiles, drained
1 (15.5 oz) can black beans, drained/
rinsed
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. salt
about 3 C. enchilada sauce, divided
2 C. shredded Mexican-style 4-blend cheese
(or whatever cheese you like)
=
Toppings:
chopped green onions
chopped tomatoes
fresh chopped parsley
sour cream
sliced black olives
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Brown ground beef & onion in skillet;
drain. Add chopped garlic, green chilies,
black beans, cumin, pepper/salt & 1 1/4
C. enchilada sauce to ground beef. Stir &
cook on Low 8-10 minutes. Spread 3 T.
enchilada sauce evenly in bottom of a
9 X 13″ baking dish. Place stacked tortillas
on a microwave-safe plate & microwave
all 30 seconds to warm & make them
more pliable. Fill each tortilla with hamburg
mixture & place in baking dish. Pour 1 C.
enchilada sauce over tortillas & spread
evenly. Sprinkle 2 C. shredded cheese on
top evenly & bake 25 minutes. Garnish
with your favorite toppings.
Makes 4-6 servings

(recipe: thesouthernladycooks.com)
—————————–
Chicken Tortilla Dump Dinner

2 (10 oz, ea) cans diced tomatoes
with chilies (like RoTel)
1 C. chicken broth
1 T. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 (15.5 oz) can black beans,
drained/rinsed
1 (10 oz) bag frozen corn
5 C. cooked/shredded chicken
(from small rotisserie chicken)
12 small corn tortillas, cut into
quarters
1 (8 oz) block Monterrey Jack
cheese, shredded (about 2 C.)
1/2 C. sour cream
1/3 C. diced red onion
1/3 C. loosely packed fresh
cilantro, chopped
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Spray insides of 9 X 13″ baking
dish with nonstick cooking spray.
In large bowl stir diced tomatoes
with chilies, chicken broth, chili
powder, cumin & salt. Add black
beans, frozen corn, chicken, tortilla
wedges & half the cheese – stir to
evenly distribute & moisten all the
ingredients. Place in prepared dish
& spread evenly. Loosely cover
with foil & bake 25 minutes.
–
Raise oven temp. to 400 degrees F.
=
Remove foil & sprinkle top with
remaining cheese. Bake until cheese
melts, about 10 minutes. Remove
from oven & top with dollops of
sour cream; sprinkle with red onion
& cilantro. Serve hot.
Serves  6-8

(recipe: foodnetwork.com)
——————————-

Crockpot Peaches ‘n Cream
Dump Cake

1 (21 oz) can peach pie filling
1 box white cake mix
1/2 C. butter, melted
8 oz. cream cheese
1/4 C. sugar
–
In a bowl mix cream cheese &
sugar until smooth. Pour pie
filling into bottom of crockpot
& smooth out. Top filling with
cream cheese mixture then
sprinkle dry cake mix on top.
Pour melted butter evenly
over top. Place 6-8 paper
towels between lid of crockpot
& lid (to help absorb moisture).
Cover & cook on High 1-2 hours.
Serves 4-6

(recipe: recipesthatcrock.com)
—————————

Cherry Choc. Chip Cookies

1 C. (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1/2 C. gran. sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 C. chocolate chips
3/4 C. chopped maraschino cherries
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment
paper. In large bowl using elec.
mixer, beat butter & sugars until light
& fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs &
vanilla – beat until combined. In another
bowl mix flour, baking soda & salt – stir into
wet ingredients then fold in choc. chips &
cherries. Using a large cookie scoop, scoop
cookies onto prepared baking sheets & bake
until set, 12-15 minutes. Makes 22 cookies

(recipe: delish.com)

===============

I need to brag a little on my husband – he’s
the kind of person who can fix or figure out
just about anything. My (3-4 yr old) cell phone
has been acting up lately: in middle of typing
a text I will suddenly lose the keyboard & am
unable to continue – or it will suddenly jump
to another screen totally – frustrating! We
were talking about me possibly getting a new
phone but I wanted to download all my photos
FIRST – well, that became almost impossible.
Enter my husband! It took him a good hour to
finally get the data transferred to my computer –
there were 2 photos that I really wanted to save
and (almost) no amount of fiddling with the data
would allow them to be transferred/saved. He
kept working at it and FINALLY succeeded – YAY!
(I’m still learning how to make a video using my
phone, but super cute 2 yr old grandson is making
that a ‘needed’ thing!) Managed to get him being
his usual crazy/funny self and wanted to save those,
too. All is well – we will be off to the phone store
in a little while – time to ‘teach an old “lady” new
tricks’ – right? (don’t know about you, but I DREAD
having to learn how to operate something digital/
new – sigh).

Hang in there!

Hugs;

Pammie

PS: Got a small reprieve on knitting baby booties –
my friend who’s been delivering them will not be
able to do so until end of the month, so I’m trying
to finish the yellow blanket (nice pattern, just boring
to knit). Also – stepped out of my comfort zone yesterday
and bought a hand-crank yarn ball winder.
I already have an electric one which drives me nuts –
never makes the yarn ‘balls’ tight – they are very loose
& almost fall apart right after using. New winder works
like a charm – YAY! Yep – even though I’m quickly
approaching 71, it’s never too late to learn something
new.

A new month –

Slowly but surely we’re finally seeing more signs of Spring – tiny crocus blooms and green leaves sprouting up which will eventually become hyacinth or daffodils – I LOVE SPRING! More sunshine – hearing and seeing the BIRDS back! YES – my favorite season, for sure!

==========

Cake Mix Peanut Butter Bars

1 C. peanut butter

1/2 C. water

1 large egg

1 (15.25 oz) box yellow cake mix

 

Frosting:

1 stick margarine (1/2 C.), softened

1/4 C. milk

1-2 tsp. vanilla

3 T. cocoa

2-3 C. powdered sugar

–

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Spray a 9 X 13″ baking dish with

nonstick cooking spray. In medium

bowl combine peanut butter, water &

egg – stir until smooth. Stir in dry

cake mix until well blended then

spread into prepared pan. Bake 20-25

minutes until puffed & light golden

brown. Cool completely.

Frosting:

Mix all frosting ingredients using

an elec. mixer, beat until smooth.

Add more powdered sugar or milk

until you reach desired consistency –

spread on top of cooled bars

then cut into 24 bars.

(recipe:  sixxistersstuff.com)

---

Simple Skillet Breakfast Potatoes

6-7 Russet potatoes (about 5 C.,
chopped into cubes)
4 T. butter
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 T. seasoned salt (poster uses Lawry’s)
salt/pepper
–
Heat a deep skillet over medium-high
heat. Add butter & melt. Add potatoes &
stir so all potatoes have some butter on
them. Add paprika, seasoned salt, salt/
pepper – stir, making sure all seasonings
are evenly distributed. Cover pan & cook
potatoes about 15 minutes. (check them
several times to be sure they aren’t
burning – stir each time you check.)
When potatoes are soft on insides, remove
pan from heat & taste – add more salt/pepper
as needed. Serves 6-7

(recipe: jamiecooksitup.net)
———————-

Chinese Cabbage Salad

2 to 2 1/2 lb. Nappa cabbage
5 green onions, sliced
3 pkgs. ramen noodles
1/2 C. butter
1/4 C. sliced almonds
1/4 C. sesame seeds
–
Dressing:

3/4 C. peanut oil (or 3 T. peanut
butter & canola to equal 3/4 C.)*
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
–
Cup end off cabbage (discard). Thinly
slice cabbage & place in a large bowl;
add green onions to bowl. Place ramen
noodles (not flavor packet) to a gallon-
sized zip-lock bag – seal bag & pound
noodles into small pieces using a meat
tenderizer (or other heavy object). Heat
a large skillet over medium-high heat –
add butter & melt then add almonds,
sesame seeds & ramen pieces. Cook,
stirring frequently, until toasted brown –
set mixture aside to cool.

*Place 3 T. peanut butter in glass measuring
cup – pour canola oil in cup so that cup measures
3/4 C. Place cup in microwave & heat 30
seconds – stir until peanut butter dissolves.
–
In medium saucepan add sugar, peanut oil
(or substitute), soy sauce & rice vinegar – bring
to a rolling boil over medium-high heat. Let it
boil hard for 1 minute then set aside to cool.
=
When you are ready to serve – toss cabbage &
green onions with crunchy ramen mixture &
pour dressing over top to coat – serve
immediately. Serves 15

NOTE: If you have extra dressing (or make
extra) it will thicken up when refrigerated.
Place dressing in a glass bowl & microwave
20 seconds – stir then use.

(recipe: jamiecooksitup.net)
——————————–

Chicken & Sour Cream Gravy

4 boneless/skinless chicken breast
halves (about 2 lb)
1/4 C. butter
2 C. chicken broth
1 C. sour cream (full fat)
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 T. flour
salt/pepper, to taste
–
=
Cooked egg noodles to serve 4
=
Melt butter in large skillet over medium
heat. Add chicken & cook until very lightly
browned on both sides but not cooked
through. Add chicken broth to skillet &
reduce heat to Low – simmer about 10
minutes until chicken is cooked through –
remove from skillet & place on a plate.
Leaving chicken broth in skillet, add sour
cream, garlic powder, salt/pepper. Stir
until sour cream is melted & fully
incorporated. Remove about 1/2 C.
liquid & stir flour into it until smooth –
pour back into skillet & stir using a wire
whisk until gravy is thickened & smooth
again. Add chicken back to skillet & turn
to coat. Serve with cooked egg noodles.
Serves 4

(recipe: southernplate.com)
—————————

Crockpot French Onion Pork

3-4 pork chops
1 (10 3/4 oz) can French onion soup
1/4 C. water
1 tsp. dried parsley
–
Cooked egg noodles for 4-5 people
–
Place chops in crockpot; mix soup &
water & pour over chops. Sprinkle
parsley on top; cover & cook on Low
8 hours or High 4 hours. Just before
serving, cook egg noodles per directions
on pkg. Serve French Onion pork over
cooked noodles.

(recipe: recipesthatcrock.com)
———————————- 
Sauteed Snap Peas with
Roasted Vegetables

1 1/2 lb. petite gold potatoes, halved
8 oz. baby bella mushrooms, halved
2 T. butter, melted
1 tsp. each: salt, pepper, garlic powder
1 T. olive oil
8 oz. snap peas, tough strands removed
1/2 white onion, minced
1/3 C. chopped green onion
–
Preheat oven 375 degrees F.
Line a sheet pan with foil & spray with
nonstick cooking spray. Toss potatoes &
mushrooms with melted butter & spread
across prepared sheet. Season with
salt/pepper/garlic powder. Roast 45
minutes, turning every 15 minutes until
cooked through & tender.
NOTE: During last 10 minutes of roasting,
in large skillet, heat olive oil over medium
heat. Add snap peas & onion; cook, stirring
occasionally, 5-7 minutes. Combine
roasted & sauteed vegetables in large
bowl; stir in green onion. Serves 6
Refrigerate any leftovers

(recipe: mymagazine.us)
——————————-

 Banana Cream Cheesecake

(6 hour or overnight recipe)

20 ‘Nilla wafers

1/4 C. butter, melted

24 oz. cream cheese, softened

2/3 C. sugar

2 T. cornstarch

3 eggs

3/4 C. mashed bananas (about 2)

1/2 C. whipping cream

2 tsp. vanilla

–

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Place wafers in a blender or food

processor – blend/process until finely

crushed. Add melted butter & blend

well – press onto bottom of a 10″

pan & refrigerate.

=

In large bowl beat cream cheese using

elec. mixer on medium speed until

creamy. Add sugar & cornstarch – beat

until blended. Add eggs, one at a time,

beating well after each addition. Beat

in bananas, whipping cream & vanilla –

pour mixture into prepared crust. Place

pan on a cookie sheet & bake 15

minutes. Reduce oven temperature to

200 degrees F. and bake another 75

minutes. Cool completely on wire

rack. Refrigerate cheesecake, uncovered,

6 hours or overnight.

Allow cheesecake to stand at room

temperature 15 minutes before

serving.

(recipe: allfood.recipes.com)

==============

It has been a nice, quiet week so far – I
don’t babysit until Friday, starting at 3 p.m.-
(I’m guessing) 7/8 p.m. but that’s not bad!
I’ve been able to go to both knit groups –
knitting & laughing, went grocery shopping
and shopping for new shoes – it’s been a
very relaxing week so far. Both knit groups
now have 35 more pairs of baby booties to
donate and we still have another 2 weeks
before the lady in my group who takes them
will be back; my ladies are so generous in
their gifting – makes me happy to know them.

Hope you are having a nice week, as well;

Hugs;

Pammie

 

Happy Thursday!

it’s Thursday – over half-way through the week! Will be babysitting in a very short while (hopefully, it will be a short day but tomorrow is 10:30 – ??? which could be 6/6:30/7 – whatever).

Weather-wise, it’s typical Michigan Spring – sometimes rainy & gray, sometimes sunny! 30’s for most of week but also possibility of SNOW two days – oh well . . . at least we know SPRING IS ON THE WAY! We have Aconite flowers all over the backyard; they’re a bright yellow ground cover. Originally they were all on my neighbor’s side of the fence, but slowly, over the years, they have all crept under the fence and now are all over MY yard (and NONE on theirs! Strange!)

=================

Homemade Chocolate Turtle Cake

1 C. chocolate chips
2 C. pecans
3/4 C. melted butter
1/2 C. evaporated milk
1 (14 oz) bag caramels, unwrapped
1 1/3 C. water
1/3 C. oil
3 eggs
1 (18 oz) box German Chocolate cake mix
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9 X 13″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray. Prepare
cake mix accordg. to pkg. directions &
pour half of batter into prepared pan.
Bake 15 minutes. Remove & let cool.
In a double boiler, add unwrapped
caramels, milk & butter – stir constantly
until melted – pour over cooled cake.
Sprinkle top of cake with 1 C. pecans &
chocolate chips. Pour remaining batter
on top & bake 20 minutes.

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

Bundt Cake Breakfast

1 C. cooked, diced ham
1 C. Tater Tots – frozen
1 dozen eggs, whisked
1 can Pillsbury Grands biscuits (8),
diced – raw
2 C. cheese – your choice (poster used Cheddar)
1/4 C. milk
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Spray a Bundt pan with nonstick
cooking spray. Mix all ingredients
together in large bowl & pour into
prepared pan. Bake 45 minutes.
When done, turn onto a platter –
cut & serve.

NOTE: You can substitute any cooked
meat or veggies – the key is to not add
too much starch.

(recipe: skinnypoints.com)
————————–

Lemon Chicken Rice Skillet

4 boneless skinless chicken breast
halves (or boneless chicken thighs)
salt/pepper, to taste
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. dried parsley
2 T. butter
1 C. uncooked white rice (poster used Jasmine)
2 1/4 C. chicken stock
1 tsp. lemon zest & 3 T. lemon juice, from
one lemon
1 tsp. dried parsley
1 whole lemon, cut into slices – (garnish)
–
Heat large skillet with lid over medium-
high heat. Season chicken with salt/pepper,
garlic powder & parsley. Add butter to skillet
& cook chicken in hot butter until browned,
but not cooked all the way through (about
2 minutes per side). Remove chicken from
skillet to a plate. Add rice, chicken stock, lemon
zest, lemon juice & parsley to skillet over medium
heat; using a wooden spoon, scrape browned bits
from bottom of pan. Let rice come to a small boil,
then reduce heat to simmer. Place chicken on top
of rice mixture, cover with lid & cook 20-25 minutes
until rice is tender & liquid is absorbed. Garnish
chicken with lemon slices & extra parsley, if desired.
Serves 4

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

Crockpot Chicken Alfredo Tortellini
Soup

1 C. diced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
8 C. chicken broth
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2″
pieces
4 ribs celery, cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
2 lb. boneless skinless chicken
breasts (frozen is OK)
1/2 C. flour
2 C. Half & Half
1 (19 oz) pkg. frozen cheese tortellini
1 1/2 C. grated/shredded Parmesan
cheese
5 large kale leaves, washed & coarsely
chopped (discard stems)
salt/pepper, to taste
–
Add onion, garlic, chicken broth, carrots,
celery, salt/pepper & chicken to crockpot.
Cover & cook on Low 6-8 hours (6 hours
for thawed chicken/8 hours for frozen).
Remove lid & use tongs to place chicken
on a cutting board – cut into pieces or
shred – add back to crockpot. Turn
heat to High – warm the Half & Half*.
Whisk flour, 1 T. at a time, into Half &
Half until smooth – pour into crockpot.
Stir & let soup thicken about 10 minutes.
Add in tortellini, Parmesan & kale.
Tortellini will cook in about 5-10 minutes.
Adjust salt/pepper to taste.
Serves 8-10

* Poster warms in a microwaveable
cup or bowl for 1 minute

(recipe: 365daysofcrockpot.com)
————————–

I thought this was a VERY INTERESTING idea!

Wafflemaker Hash Browns

1 (30 oz) bag frozen shredded hash
browns, thawed
4 T. (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
3/4 C. grated Cheddar cheese
3/4 C. chopped ham
–
Preheat waffle maker on regular
setting & spray both heated elements
with nonstick cooking spray. Squeeze
out any excess moisture from potatoes &
place in a bowl. Pour melted butter over,
sprinkle with salt/pepper & stir. Scoop
a heaping 1/2 C. of mixture into each bottom
waffle section* – top with a generous 2 T.
Cheddar then a sprinkling of chopped
ham. Top cheese & ham in each section
with another 1/4 C. hash browns. Close
waffle iron & cook 15 minutes on
regular setting. Repeat with rest of
hash browns, cheese & ham, filling
one section of waffle iron. Makes 5

*you  might want to spread hash browns
around a bit to totally fill each section

(recipe: foodnetwork.com
———————————-

Tamale Pie

1 box corn muffin mix (like Jiffy)
1 large egg
1/2 C. sour cream
1/2 c. canned creamed corn
1 T. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
kosher salt/ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. ground beef
1/3 C. red enchilada sauce
1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 C. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Grease a large oven-safe skillet with
nonstick cooking spray. In large bowl
whisk corn muffin mix, egg, sour cream
& creamed corn – pour into prepared
skillet & bake 20 minutes until golden.
Let cool.
In large skillet over medium heat, heat
oil. Add onion, cumin & chili powder –
season with salt/pepper – cook 5 minutes
until soft. Add garlic & cook 1 minute until
fragrant. Add gr. beef & cook, breaking up
meat with a wooden spoon, until no longer
pink, about 6 minutes; drain. Poke entire
surface of cooked cornbread with a fork &
pour enchilada sauce over. Top with beef &
cheeses. Cover with foil & bake about 20
minutes until cheese is melted. Turn on
broiler, remove foil & broil about 5 minutes
until cheese turns golden. Serves 6

(recipe: delish.com)
—————————————

Knock Your Socks Off Chicken
& Sausage
(crockpot)

1 1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken
breasts
1 pkg Andoulle sausage (or you can
use smoked sausage, kielbasa)
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, room temp.
1 C. chicken stock
1/2 C. white wine (or beer or chicken
stock)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 T. grainy mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
(scallions – chopped – optional garnish)
=
Cooked white rice, noodles, quinoa or
pasta to serve 4
=
In medium bowl mix cream cheese with
chicken stock, salt, garlic, mustard & wine
until incorporated. Place chicken & sausage
in bottom of crockpot & place onions on top.
Pour cream cheese mixture over top. Cover
& cook on High 4 hours (or Low 5-6 hours)
checking occasionally to be sure it’s not
thickening too much – if it is, add a little
more chicken stock or wine.

When ready to serve, you can place the meal
in a baking dish & place under broiler a few
minutes (optional). Salt & pepper, to taste
& serve with suggested sides.

NOTE from poster: If your sauce seems thinner
you can always remove the lid from crockpot
the last hour of cooking time.

(recipe: bakednewengland.com)

================

Well, recipes were copying just fine until the last dessert
one – back to my sites old tricks so no last dessert recipe –
sorry.

On the knitting note; Tuesday I was able to deliver
50 pairs of baby booties – that makes 150 pairs since
we first took up the challenge – I’m so proud of my ladies!

Guess I’d better get off here and organize what I’m taking
for babysitting today besides my knitting (some sort of
lunch . . . ).

Have a GREAT day! SPRING IS COMING!!!

Hugs;

Pammie

PS: Gas prices are up to $2.69/9 (was lucky to use my Kroger gas points to get 20 cents off per gallon – yay!

 

Friday

Another rainy day in Michigan – it’s a ‘balmy’ 38 degrees F. and looks like it won’t get much higher for the coming days. Not bad, but if you live in colder climates you know that when it’s in the 30’s & raining, it ‘could’ turn to that dreaded ‘S’ word: snow. So far that doesn’t look like it’s in the offing – sure hope not!

Lots of great recipes coming in so thought it’s time to share with you:

============

(think I’m saving this one for Easter)

Layered Lemon Pie

1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 C. sugar

1 (15 3/4 oz) can lemon pie filling, divided

1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed

1 (9 inch) graham cracker pie crust

–

In small bowl beat cream cheese & sugar

until smooth using elec. mixer. Beat in

half of pie filling then fold in Cool Whip –

spoon into pie crust. Spread remaining

pie filling over cream cheese layer &

refrigerate at least 15 minutes before

serving. Serves 8

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)

---

Crockpot Sugar Carrots w/Ginger

7 whole carrots sliced into 1/4″ slices
3 T. fresh ginger – peeled/finely minced*
1/4 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. orange juice
1/4 C. butter
–
Add carrots, ginger, brown sugar,
orange juice & butter to 4 qt. crockpot.
Cover & cook on High 1 hour. Remove
lid & stir to make sure there are no
lumps of brown sugar. Cover & turn
temp. to Low – cook 4-5 hours until
carrots reach your desired tenderness
level. Serves 4

*To easily peel fresh ginger use a spoon
to scrape off the skin.

(recipe: crockpotladies.com)
—————————-

Sausage/Bean Soup
(stove or crockpot method)

1 lb. pork sausage
1 small onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 C. chopped celery
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can navy beans, drained/
rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can kidney beans, drained/
rinsed
1 C. chopped fresh baby spinach-
(optional)
2 potatoes, peeled/cubed
2 C. water
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
–
In a skillet brown sausage, onion,
green pepper & celery; drain & add
to large pot. Add all other soup
ingredients to pot & simmer 1 hour
until potatoes are done.
Makes approx. 10 C. soup

Crockpot:
Follow directions, adding cooked
sausage, onion, green pepper & celery
to crockpot along with all other
ingredients. Cook on High 4 hours or
Low for 6 hours

(recipe: thesouthernladycooks.com)
————————————

5-Ingredient Dump & Bake
Reuben Casserole

2 lb. bag sauerkraut (about 3.75 C.)
drained/rinsed/squeezed very dry
using a dishtowel
1 large tomato, horizontally sliced
into 4 rounds
1/2 C. Russian or Thousand Island
salad dressing
12 oz. deli sliced corned beef, diced
(or use leftover cooked corned beef)
8 oz. grated Swiss cheese
–
optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley
–
Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Spray 8 X 8″ baking dish with
nonstick cooking spray. Place
sauerkraut in bottom of dish;
top with tomato slices & drizzle
with salad dressing. Add diced
corned beef on top & sprinkle
with grated cheese. Bake,
uncovered, 20-25 minutes until
heated through. Garnish with
parsley, if desired. Serves 4

(recipe: theseasonedmom.com)
——————————

Potato/Pepper/Sausage Bake

5 large Yukon Gold potatoes,
peeled/cut into 1 inch cubes
1 large sweet orange pepper, sliced
1 large sweet red pepper, sliced
1 shallot, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. olive oil
2 tsp. paprika
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 (19 oz) pkg. Italian sausage links
minced fresh thyme, optional
–
Preheat oven 400 degrees F.
Spray a 15 X 10 X 1″ rimmed baking
sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
Place potatoes, sweet peppers,
shallot & garlic in prepared pan.
Drizzle with oil & sprinkle with
seasonings – toss to coat. Spread
evenly over pan, leaving room for
the sausage – add sausage to pan*
Bake, uncovered, 30-35 minutes until
a thermometer inserted into sausage
reads 160 degrees F. & vegetables are
tender. If desired, sprinkle with fresh
thyme before serving. Serves 5

*arrange sausages directly onto
pan instead of on top of potatoes so
potatoes cook evenly.

(recipe: tasteofhome.com)
———————–

Pecan Pie Muffins

1 C. chopped pecans

1 C. firmly packed brown sugar

1/2 C. flour

2 large eggs, well beaten

1/2 C. melted butter

–

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

Line muffin cups with foil baking

cup liners. In large bowl combine

pecans, brown sugar & flour. Add

beaten eggs to butter then pour

over dry ingredients – mix to combine.

Spoon batter into muffin tins 2/3 rds

full. Bake 20-25 minutes. Transfer

to wire rack immediately after baking.

(recipe: americantimesfood.com)

==============

Well, it appears my computer wants to be
‘goofy’ again & won’t ‘copy & paste’ nicely
so last recipe had to be hand typed. I had
more great recipes but with the computer
‘glitch’, am going to leave you with what’s
posted above & not ‘tempt fate’.

Today is another ‘free’ day so am planning
on catching up a bit on my baby afghans –
knitting the tiny baby booties goes much
faster, so have been doing a lot of that.
I/we are now up to 45 pairs so, hopefully,
next Tuesday the lady from my Panera group
who now wants to work at sewing the baby
gowns will come to Panera & I can give
them to her to hand-carry to the place = at
least ‘that’s the plan’!

Enjoy your day!

Hugs;

Pammie

PS: Thought I had some Irish recipes saved – will have

to check further for you!

 

PPS: Just remembered: don’t know about you, but

we here at my house have both a ‘land line’

and several cell phones. Yesterday while at the

doctors for a routine check up my cell phone rang.

I’ve received MANY/DAILY ‘scam likely’ recordings

on both my cell & home phones BUT this one

tops them all: a recording all in CHINESE!!! (No,

I don’t speak Chinese, but I do know “Hello” in

Chinese – TOO FUNNY!)  It just kept repeating,

over & over like all the other ‘scam likely’ calls.

Now THAT’S different!!!