So…It’s been a while… Life here has been busy as usual with homeschooling, daily activities, a couple of minor surgeries and birthdays. My baby girl turned a year old in December! She is such a sweet little girl! I can’t believe she is getting so big already! My other kids are all chomping at the bit waiting for spring. They are ready to spend their days outdoors, riding their bikes and playing. And while I enjoyed  winter, I am ready for spring too!

Lately, I have been making a lot of the foods that I grew up eating. Today I made a Sour Cream Raisin Pie.  I love this pie because not only is it delicious but it is very simple to make!

You will need:

1 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

3 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups raisins

1 unbaked pie shell

Combine all ingredients

Pour into uncooked pie shell.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes then reduce oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 more minutes.

Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving. A little whipped cream on top makes it extra yummy!

I hope that everyone is enjoying their Labor day weekend! We are spending our weekend  laboring, hehe. My husband and dad are in the process of turning one of the basement rooms into an office! Perhaps I will share more on that later.

Today I wanted to share an easy treat: Jello Cream Squares. These things are very addictive!

You will need:

3 (3 oz.) boxes of Jell-O (any colors you like) I used 2 orange and 1 strawberry

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin

Prepare the Jell-O using 1 cup of hot water per flavor in three separate containers. Chill for 4 hours until the Jell-O has set up. Cut the Jell-O into pieces (they do not have to be uniform).

Place Jello pieces in a 13×9  pan. (Keep them  in the refrigerator until ready to add the white layer). In a separate bowl mix the 2 envelopes of unflavored gelatin with 1/2 cup cold water. Add 1 1/2 cups of boiling water and stir until dissolved.

Mix in the sweetened condensed milk.

Allow the milk mixture to cool and then pour over the Jell-O cubes.

Chill for 4 hours or overnight.

After the mixture sets up cut into squares and serve.

I chose red and orange for fall colors, but the color combinations are as many as there are flavors and colors of jello. I think I will make red and green for Christmas!

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Here in NC the Andy Griffith Show is a big favorite. Most of us that live here have grown up with Andy, Opie, Barney and Aunt Bee as if they were part of the family. The show still airs every week night.  Though we were all saddened by Andy Griffith’s recent passing he will always be legendary in this part of the south!

The Andy Griffith Show was set in the fictitious Mayberry, NC which was based on Andy Griffith’s home town Mt. Airy, NC.

Many of the places mentioned on the show are real places in Mt. Airy. One such place is the Snappy Lunch Diner. The Snappy Lunch is famous for its pork chop sandwich. Check out this Southern Living video about the Snappy Lunch. If you make it over  to Mt. Airy, be sure to stop in the Snappy Lunch and order a sandwich. For those of you who would like to try it now, here is the recipe.

You will need:

Thin cut slices of pork tenderloin

Oil (for frying)

1 cup flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

2/3 cup milk

Burger buns

Yellow mustard

Coleslaw

Canned chili (no beans)

Tomato slices

Mix the flour, sugar and salt together. Whisk the eggs and milk together.

Add milk and egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until smooth

Heat about 1/2 inch of oil on medium heat Dip the pork into batter and then place into heated oil.

Cook until golden brown on both sides.

Spread mustard on bun

Place cooked pork chop on bun

Add a large spoonful of chili

Add tomato slices

Top with coleslaw

Enjoy the sandwich, y’all!

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The summer has really flown by! As much as I love summer, I’m ready for my favorite season: fall! If only it wasn’t followed by winter!

These little owl cupcakes look perfect for a fall party! They are really easy to assemble, too!

You will need:

Cupcakes – any flavor you prefer (I choose orange butter cake)

Oreos (or Oreo style cream filled cookies)

Frosting (I used a standard chocolate)

Reese’s pieces

Frost your cupcakes with a thick layer

Separate the cookies. Try to keep the cream in the center intact.

Place the cookies on the cupcake center, cream side up

Cut the cookie pieces with no cream in half. I found it easiest to gently saw it with a small serrated knife. This keeps the cookie from shattering.

Place the cut cookie pieces at an angle above the cream filled cookie, rounded side out.

Stick the brown Reese’s pieces in the center of the cream for eyes (I used a bit of frosting on the bottom so they would stick). Place  the orange and yellow Reese’s vertically  for the nose.

Now go surprise your kids with some cute little owls!

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It’s back to school time and if your kids are anything like mine, they are ALWAYS hungry! Here is an easy snack mix idea that only takes a few minutes to mix up.

You will need:

10 0z. bag of oyster crackers

1 oz packet ranch dressing

1/4 cup oil

3 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon parsley flakes

Mix oil, ranch dressing packet, Parmesan cheese, onion powder, and parsley flakes together in bowl.

Add in oyster crackers and thoroughly coat.

Spread on cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 15 minutes stirring every 5 minutes.  Serve immediately or store in an airtight container.

These are perfect for after school snacking and also a great party mix! Easy and yummy, too!

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I can’t believe how fast summer is flying by! Right now we are preparing for the new school year. This year I have a child in second grade, one in first grade and a preschooler…I think we are going to have a fun and exciting year! My seven year old just started piano lessons this week and has amazed us with how quickly he catches on. I also have lots of fun projects and some new subjects that we will be introducing this school year.

Today I spent time organizing our home school drawers and getting our materials together. Since I have been very busy all day, I wanted something easy to make, but filling and tasty too. So, I whipped up this sausage and cornbread casserole and it was a big hit!

You will need:

1 lb sausage roll

1 onion

1 green pepper

3 garlic cloves, minced

6 oz. can large black olives, pitted, drained and chopped in half

2 cups salsa

2 boxes of Jiffy corn muffin mix (8.5 oz)

2 eggs (for the corn muffins)

2/3 cup milk (for the corn muffins)

8 oz. bag shredded Colby and Monterey Jack cheese

Chop the onion and green pepper.

Fry the sausage, onions, peppers and garlic on the stove top

When the sausage is fully cooked add in the olives and salsa

Pour mixture into a casserole dish and top with 1/2 of the cheese

Mix the corn muffin mix according to the package. Spread corn muffin mixture on top of sausage mixture

Sprinkle evenly with the rest of the cheese

Bake for 25 -30  minutes (or until toothpick comes out of corn muffin batter clean) in preheated oven (400 degrees).

Mmmm…comfort food at its best!

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Earlier this we week made a trip to TN to see family.  I got caught up in visiting and neglected to take pictures, so we only have a few. I have been making mental notes to do better in that regard.

We had a wonderful (if limited) time with family, and that was the important part. I got to see two younger cousins that I haven’t seen in a long while and got to know their spouses and kids. I found that I am quite proud of the people they have become as adults! I wish that we could have spent more time with everyone, but we were limited in what we could do since a couple of the kids got sick with really bad allergy attacks.

We did get to spend a day at a local park. What fun! Here are some relaxing pictures of the kids playing in the creek. Thanks goes to my cousin Kendalyn for pulling out my camera and snapping away!

This week we have been in TN having a wonderful time with family! Of course one of the things we like to  do on vacation is eat and try new foods and recipes. There are a lot of phenomenal cooks and bakers in our family and it is always a blessing when they share recipes that are special to them!

My cousin Kendalyn wanted to share a recipe with you that is special to her: Grandma Reed’s Chicken and dumplings. She remembers her mother making this meal often on Saturdays spent around the house. As the broth for the dumplings slow simmered, they would fill the house with a delicious aroma that is a comfort to Kendalyn and her family as they continue the tradition of making this meal.

To make this you will need:

1 whole chicken

Bisquick

1 cup buttermilk

1 onion

3 celery stalks

3 medium carrots

3 bouillon cubes

Salt, pepper and sage

Sprinkle the entire chicken with sage, pepper and plenty of salt

Place the chicken, onion, carrots, and celery into a large stock pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil then lower to simmer for at least an hour until the chicken is cooked.

Remove the chicken and veggies.

Strain off fat then reserve 4 quarts of broth. Add bouillon cubes to broth and salt to taste. Cut a small amount of the veggies boiled in the broth into small pieces and pull the chicken off the bones into spoon-sized pieces. Return them to broth then bring the broth back up to a good simmer.

Fill a 16 oz Pyrex measuring cup (approx. 20 oz) to the top with Bisquick

Then measure out just under 1 cup buttermilk (to make this extra special you can double the dumplings)

Combine the Bisquick and buttermilk into a thick dough

Drop by large spoonfuls into the broth

Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes (occasionally ladle broth over the dumplings as they simmer).

I love sharing family food traditions, especially when they are foods that are warm, hearty and remind you of home!

Thank you, Kendalyn, for sharing with us!

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What a busy week we are having! Right now we are preparing for a vacation and also our upcoming school year. I’m still trying to keep meals as simple and healthy as possible. These campfire pockets are a kid favorite here and I like them because they are easy, healthy and don’t require me to heat the house up.

The ingredients you need are based on how many people you are serving and personal taste.

We used:

1 potato per person

Several yellow plumb tomatoes per person

Several slices of onion and green bell pepper per person

1 hard boiled egg per person

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced

1 lb ground beef, divided between 7 pockets

Onion powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper sprinkled into each pocket

Peel potatoes and chop into thin strips

Cut boiled eggs into quarters

Chop other veggies into thin pieces

Fold foil into pockets: Fold in half then double fold both of the sides.

It should look like this (below)

Layer veggies  in pocket

Add meat and sprinkle in spices.

Fold top. Carefully shake a little to mix the contents.

Place packets on grill until potatoes are tender and meat is thoroughly cooked

The best part is you can eat it straight out of the pocket which means NO clean-up!

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Summer is in full swing and gardens are producing tomatoes like crazy! It’s always at this time of year that I start craving fresh tomato sandwiches and fried tomatoes. My mom always makes fried red tomatoes…one of my favorite summer dishes! It’s so simple to make!

You will need:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

3 eggs

Several medium tomatoes

Oil

Whisk the eggs

Mix the Parmesan cheese, flour, salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders together in a bowl big enough for dredging

Slice up your tomatoes

Dip the tomatoes in egg mixture

Dredge through flour mixture, coating both sides. Preheat about 1/2 inch oil in a pan on medium heat.

Place tomatoes in preheated oil

Fry for a few seconds on both sides until golden brown

These make a great side dish or lunch!

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I can’t believe how much of July has passed already! Summer seems to be flying by so fast! We are getting a lot of use out of the porch this year…spending a lot of time out there.  Dinner is served casual style on the porch, followed by kids playing until it’s dark out. I haven’t been spending very much time in the kitchen though. It’s simply been too hot to stand over the stove for too long! I’ve been making a lot of quick, easy meals.

Tonight I wanted something easy, and that didn’t use a lot of ingredients (since I have not made it to the grocery store yet, hehe). I decided on this vintage recipe that only uses four ingredients: Gold Rush Brownies.

You will need:

2 cups crushed graham cracker crumbs

1 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts (I used walnuts)

1 15 oz can sweetened condensed milk

Dump all the ingredients into a bowl.

Mix together. It should be a fairly thick mixture.

Spread into a greased 8 inch square pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool for at least 10 minutes before you cut and serve. Very easy and quick to throw together…plus, it tastes super yummy!

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Zucchini season is here! I love zucchini…it’s so healthy and versatile! If you’re tired of eating it prepared the same way every time here is recipe that is a little different.

You will need:

Prepared corn bread batter (you can make your own or use store bought)

1 medium zucchini, grated, (my zucchini was a little on the large side…I used a little more than half. It looked like about 2 cups)

1 onion, chopped

4 ounces of cheddar cheese shreds

onion powder

Place zucchini and onion in corn bread batter.

Sprinkle lightly with onion powder.

Add in cheese.

Mix well and fill muffin cups with batter. Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

These tasty muffins are great with BBQ chicken. Super simple!

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It’s been so hot here, I want to get in the pool and never get out. Such is Summer in the South…wouldn’t trade it for anything, though.

Today I was in the mood for a light tropical cookie. Something that matched with the tropical feeling my yard is giving me right now.

You will need:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 1/3 cups flaked coconut

Cream butter and sugars together, then beat in egg and flavorings.

in a separate bowl mix the flour, salt and baking soda. Then mix in the coconut.

Gradually add the dry ingredients to sugar mixture.

Roll into small balls and place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. bake at 350 degrees for about 11 minutes or until cookie is golden brown.

You can eat it just the way it is or for a little added flavor top with a lime icing.

Simple Lime Icing:

Mix 2 TBSP Lime juice and 1 TBSP softened (not melted) butter or margarine, 1 drop green food coloring and 1 drop yellow food coloring. Gradually add in Tablespoons of powdered sugar (about 12) until the icing is at the desired consistency.

It’s the perfect cookie for a summer luau or cookout!

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Summer is here and it looks like it’s going to be a busy one for us! Along with various summer events and activities, we are going to spend the summer swimming, creating and  reading. My kids will be participating in the summer reading program at our local library which looks like it will be a lot of fun!

Today, after being out and about with the kids, I decided to make a dessert that doesn’t require a lot of effort: Peach Cobbler.

This recipe is neat because you spread the batter in the pan then pour the peach mixture on top…the batter rises to cover the peaches and gets a sugary crust on the top.

You will need:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup white sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

4 tsp baking powder

1 cup milk

2 cans peaches in syrup

2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla

sugar to sprinkle on top

Cream butter and sugar

Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in separate bowl

Add flour mixture and milk to creamed butter and sugar, alternating them

Spread batter in greased pan

Mix peaches with syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon together

Pour on top of batter

Sprinkle lightly with sugar. <Edited> Sorry everyone…I forgot a very important part: Baking time! I used a 9 x 11 casserole dish and baked at 375 degrees. Mine took about an hour to bake, but you may want to check it after 45 minutes. When the center is no longer doughy and it doesn’t ‘give’ a whole lot when you touch the top, it should be done.

It is especially yummy with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream!

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Adorned From Above

My husband and I nine years ago, right after he proposed.

I mentioned the other day that my husband and I were celebrating our ninth anniversary. Today we decided to go on a picnic at the park where he proposed to me. Here are a few pictures from our day.

Us nine years later at the same location.

Teacup bird feeders

Ew! Is that a spider?

I’ll take care of it for you!

The Tin Man

Old friends

Tin Man needed a little oil.

OK…A little cheesy…I know

Cute mural in the kid’s garden

My husband says “Hi!”

My serious pic…It was either this or the one with my tongue sticking out, lol

Sweet hubby!

This is actually attached to the greenhouse.

Of course, I’m curious…so I peeked in.

We had such a fun day reliving old memories! Thanks for sharing our day with us

]]> http://happyhodgepodgehome.wordpress.com/2012/06/17/our-anniversary/feed/ 0 mbdang 260537_2163898776780_3772554_n mhd2 mhd5 mhd6 mhd7 mhd8 mhd9 mhd10 mhd19 mhd11 mhd12 mhd15 mhd4 mhd18 mhd16 http://happyhodgepodgehome.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/cilantro-shrimp-scampi/ http://happyhodgepodgehome.wordpress.com/2012/06/15/cilantro-shrimp-scampi/#comments Fri, 15 Jun 2012 00:06:33 +0000 Michelle http://happyhodgepodgehome.wordpress.com/ http://happyhodgepodgehome.wordpress.com/?p=1545 Continue reading →]]>

Today, my husband and I are celebrating our 9th wedding anniversary! Nine years ago we met online and fell in love. After a two month courtship (yes, you read that right…two months) we eloped. Here we are nine years later enjoying life in our happy little house with five beautiful children and 130 lb dog running around! I can honestly say that I have never regretted  the decision to marry him even for a second! He is a loving husband, a great dad and never fails to earn my respect over and over again!

Me and my sweetie, nine years ago.

Anyway, I suppose that’s enough mushy stuff…on to the recipe! I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner tonight and he asked for shrimp scampi. So here is the recipe I came up with.

You will need:

53-68 medium shrimp, fully cooked, deveined and tails pulled off

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 onion, minced

1 bell pepper, minced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup butter

1/8 cup olive oil

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

black pepper, to taste

Angel hair pasta, spaghetti or linguini

fresh chopped cilantro and black pepper to garnish

You won’t need both bags of shrimp…I thought I would need more

Melt the butter and olive oil together

Stir in the onions and garlic and saute

Add bell peppers and lemon juice

Stir in green onions and cilantro

Last add shrimp, onion powder, salt, pepper and sugar and stir until heated through.

Serve over cooked pasta and garnish with fresh cilantro and black pepper.

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I hope that everyone had a good weekend! Our weekend went by too quickly…even if all we did was some much needed work around the house.

I’ve been feeling a little bit under the weather lately, so I decided to make something very simple for dessert tonight. These Pineapple Cream Cheese Bars are an easy treat to make when you don’t feel like putting in a whole lot of effort.They are based on an old Hawaiian recipe.

You will need:

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup melted butter

2  1/2  cups boiling water

1 cup sugar

3 envelopes gelatin

1 1/2 cup crushed pineapple

2 8-oz packages cream cheese

Whipped cream

Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter together and press into pan.

Dissolve gelatin and sugar in boiling water

Add pineapple. Let the mixture cool some some.

Cream the cream cheese with mixer

Add pineapple and gelatin mixture. It will look a little watery and lumpy. Place bowl in the fridge for a short while until it is just starting to set (don’t wait until it sets completely), then remove and beat with mixer.

Pour mixture over crust and place back into refrigerator for several hours or until set.

After it sets, top it with whipped cream, slice and serve. Super simple!

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Today has been a busy day. In fact, this is the first chance I’ve had to sit down all day. Tomorrow looks like it’s going to be a busy day as well, but I don’t mind…things are getting done.

Today I decided to try a recipe I’ve never tried before: seafood lasagna. My husband loves seafood, so I thought this would be a pleasant change of pace from the usual sort of lasagna (not that I mind the usual lasagna).

You will need:

15 oz. ricotta cheese

8 oz cottage cheese

2 egg yolks

8 oz mozzarella cheese shreds

2   8 oz jars of pesto

1 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 medium zucchini

1 lb of whiting fillets (or other sort of white fish), chopped and flaked

12 oz cooked, peeled shrimp, with tails removed

16 oz box lasagna noodles (though it is doubtful you will need them all)

Boil your lasagna according to the directions on the box. While you are waiting you can chop the zucchini, onions and fish. When you chop the fish, flake it with a fork (I also removed the skin). I also pressed paper towels onto the shrimp and fish to absorb any excess liquid.

Put the ricotta cheese, cottage cheese and pesto together in a bowl…drain off excess liquid.

Mix well

Lightly sauté onions and garlic together in a little oil

Add in zucchini slices and sauté them as well. Drain off excess liquid.

Spread a thin layer of the cheese and pesto mix into the bottom of your casserole dish.

Place your noodles over the cheese mixture on the bottom

Add another thicker layer of the cheese mixture over top of the noodles

Next put a layer of zucchini and onions

Then shrimp

Next fish

And finally cheese. Repeat this process for as many layers as you want.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 – 40 minutes. Be careful of the top…hehe. As you can see, mine is a bit more ‘golden’ than I would’ve liked. Oh well, tastes fine!

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Lately, I’ve been missing the beach…the sound of the waves crashing…the fresh air…pretty much everything. It’s only been a couple of months since our last visit, but already I’m wishing we could go again. We actually don’t live too far from the beach, but it’s far enough away that we would need to stay over…time to start saving to buy a beach house! Oh well, I can dream, can’t I?

I’ve also been craving seafood and even though it’s pretty warm here, it was the kind of day you need a bowl of soup and some fresh bread. So I made some Manhattan clam chowder and some big homemade rolls.

This chowder makes a huge pot, so it’s ideal if you are feeding a crowd.

You will need:

1 onion, minced

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

6-7 medium to large potatoes, peeled and cut

4  10 ounce cans of whole baby clams, with juices

2  14.5 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, with juice

2 cups tomato juice

8 cups water

3 bay leaves

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup apple juice

3 TBSP powdered chicken boullion

5 TBSP sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

4 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

Lightly sauté onion and garlic in a little oil.

Add chopped potatoes, clams (juice and all), diced tomatoes (also with juice), tomato juice, water and bay leaves and bring to a boil.

Turn the burner down to medium-low. Remove bay leaves and discard.

Add in the lemon juice, apple juice and spices. Adjust seasonings to taste. Continue to simmer until potatoes are tender. Garnish with sour cream and parsley flakes and serve.

Delicious, easy and frugal, too!

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So far this week has been uneventful. We are trying to transition school assignments from one grade to the next. Not a lot of excitement, just a  relaxing pace here!

A few years ago I made this Hawaiian wedding cake for my husband and he really enjoyed it. I kind of forgot about it until the other day when I found it in my recipes. I tweaked the recipe a little to bring out the natural flavors and added a cream cheese frosting made with whipping cream.

For the cake you will need:

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup finely chopped (or crushed) walnuts
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Mix all of your dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Then mix in the eggs, vanilla and crushed pineapple with all of the juice.

Pour into a well greased pan 9″ round or 9″X13″ rectangle

Bake for about 35 – 40 minutes at 350 degrees (or until toothpick in the center comes out clean). You can serve it this way if you want…or you can kick it up a notch with a simple creamy whipped cream-cream cheese frosting!

For Whipped Cream Cream Cheese Frosting you will need

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (let it come to room temperature for easier blending)
1 cup white sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

In a small bowl beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form; set aside.In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Gently fold the cream cheese mixture and whipped cream together.

I topped mine with a little toasted coconut.

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I hope that everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend! Ours was eventful and involved a trip to the ER.

Happy 6 (Superman) jumped off a bed and landed on Happy 7′s (Batman) head. So of course, we headed to the ER. Fortunately, everything was fine. That’s life with boys …I hope I survive the superhero stage…

On to today’s recipe!

When I was a kid, my mom made a green bean casserole that was a bit different than the usual mushroom soup casserole. Not that I have anything against the mushroom soup casserole, but I will probably never crave it. My mom’s casserole, however, is a different story altogether!

You will need:

2 pounds fresh or frozen green beans, cut into 1-1/2-inch pieces

2 TBSP finely chopped onion

2 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP white vinegar (or rice vinegar)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp pepper

2 TBSP saltine cracker crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 stick butter, melted

Put beans in a pan with a little water to cover. Cook until almost tender. Drain off water, then mix green beans,  minced onions, garlic, olive oil, pepper and vinegar in a casserole dish together.

Melt butter

Add cracker crumbs and Parmesan cheese to the butter and mix well

Place crumb mixture on top of the green beans in casserole dish

Bake at 350 degrees until the top is golden brown.

I have been known to polish off large portions of this in lieu of a proper lunch or dinner!

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Living in a house full of boys, there are always superheros, various Star Wars characters and (of course) cowboys underfoot. My three-year-old is especially fond of playing cowboys. His little Fisher Price farm set has a little farmer with it that Happy 3 insists is a cowboy.

Happy 3 is also the most picky eater of all my boys. Most of my kids will gobble down vegetables as fast as I can set them on the table…but not Happy 3. He needs a little more convincing.

So tonight we are having mashed potatoes “cowboy” style. I am hoping that the combination of his beloved mashed potatoes combined with some vegetables and a slightly spicy kick will rope him in. I think my husband is sold…I’ve had to chase him away a couple of times…after all, we need some to be left in the bowl for when the chicken is finally done and it is time for the food to be placed on the table!

Anyway, you will need:

15 – 16 medium potatoes

1 cup carrots (cut very thin…matchsticks)

1 onion, minced

1/2 cup butter

10-15 slices of pickled jalapenos (I used 28 slices…we all like a little more ‘kick’)

1 cup shredded cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella)

8 oz. corn

3-5 minced garlic cloves

salt and pepper to taste

Peel, cut and boil your potatoes as you normally would for mashed potatoes. Saute the garlic, onion, carrots and jalapenos in a little oil.

Place butter in the bowl you will be mixing the potatoes in

Pour the (hot) boiled potatoes over the butter and mix (mash)

Add the corn to the sauteed mixture and saute a few minutes longer

Add the sauteed mixture to the potatoes and mix

Then mix in the cheese and serve

And in the words of my husband “Yee Haw!! Let’s eat!!”  ;)

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I managed to get my technical problems sorted out….basically resulted in buying a new part. Apparently one of my kids took something off the laptop and hauled it off. Whenever something like this happens we usually check with my three-year-old or my twenty-year-old. If the three-year-old has it then it is stashed away somewhere for him to play with later. If the twenty-year-old has it…we make yet another trip to his GI doctor to have more x-rays. So far they have found a lot of interesting things…hehe…but that’s another story!

While my husband was gone we spent some time with my parents and some of my siblings. There were lots of kids around so we decided to have an impromptu cookout. I whipped up about four chocolate chess pies. These pies are  really easy to throw together and have a rich chocolaty flavor!

You will need (this will make two pies):

2 unbaked pie shells

3 cups sugar

6 TBSP cocoa powder

4 eggs

1 12 oz can evaporated milk

1/2 cup melted butter

2 tsps vanilla extract

Mix your cocoa and sugar together.

Lightly whisk your eggs then add to cocoa mixture.

Beat in milk, butter and vanilla.

Pour into your pie crusts and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 min or until a knife comes out clean.

See?? Super easy! So flavorful that everyone will think you knocked yourself out to make them!

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My husband came back earlier in the week from his business trip to Singapore and the Philippines. We are so happy to have him back home! No one told me that jet lag was contagious! After he got back, we were all tired as if we had gone with him! Maybe it was watching him yawn so much…poor guy was really tired!

In the meantime, I am dealing with some technical issues that I hope will be resolved soon. I have lots of things to share, so just hang in there while I work on these issues, please! See you all soon!

Do you like to entertain? Do you like Asian style meals? Here is a recipe that can save you time and money if you need to feed a lot of people in a hurry. You can also freeze this and heat it up later. I make this (mildly spicy) chicken for my family of seven and it always goes pretty far! And it’s delicious too!

You will need:

3 lbs of boneless skinless dark meat chicken, cut into chunks

1 onion

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup vinegar

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp chili paste

3 TBSP brown sugar

2 TBSP lime juice

1 TBSP soy sauce

2 TBSP hoisin sauce

1/3 cup cornstarch (or enough to evenly coat chicken)

First julienne the onion (cut into matchsticks)

Thoroughly coat chicken with cornstarch

Saute onions and garlic in a few TBSP of oil

Mix water, vinegar, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, chili paste, lime juice, and soy sauce together

Add the cornstarch-coated meat to the onions and garlic. Stir occasionally until chicken is fully cooked and cornstarch is starting to crisp slightly in some places. Pour the sauce on.

Continue to simmer for about 7 min.

Serve with rice, honey glazed carrots, and zucchini sauteed in oyster sauce and you will have a healthy and filling meal that is sure to please just about everyone!

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