Memorial Day Special- 3 for 1

For anyone out there that is having a party, family reunion, picnic, or barbecue this weekend, here are a few recipes that are definitely great for a crowd. The pineapple recipe is one my mom has made for years and taken to every pot luck she goes to and it's always one of the first things gone. The coleslaw recipe is from Adam's Aunt Sue and I've been making it since the first time I ate it at a party she brought it too. And last, the potato salad is one I found recently and has become our favorite potato salad! I hope every enjoys this holiday weekend, eats well, and stays safe. Happy Memorial Day!!!!

Baked Pineapple

6 TBS butter- room temp

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

5 slices white bread- cubed

20 oz can crushed pineapple- drained a little, but not all

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs. Beat well. Add bread and pineapple. Mix and put in greased baking dish. Bake for 1 hour @ 350º.

Pineapple

Crunchy Coleslaw

1 package coleslaw mix

1 package Chicken flavored Ramen noodles- flavor packet removed and noodles crushed

4 green onions chopped

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1 package sunflower seeds

Dressing

2 TBS sugar

3 TBS vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp pepper

flavor packet

Mix all together except noodles and chill for few hours. Right before serving, add noodles and mix well. Add dressing.

Almonds

Picnic Potato Salad

3 lbs. potatoes- boiled, cool, and cubed

6 hard boiled eggs chopped

1/3 cup red onion minced (1 small onion)

1/3 cup celery finely chopped (2 ribs)

Dressing

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 TBS mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and add dressing. Chill well before serving.

Potato

Thanks Rachael

Rachael Ray has a term for a meal you can eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner, BLD. This recipe would fall under that category. I recently bought the Taste of Home 2003 Holiday and Celebrations cookbook for my mother-in-law and this was featured in the Easter brunch section. Well, I didn't want to wait for Easter and since we love having breakfast for supper I decided to try it. This is our supper tonight and I'm serving hashbrown cakes and fruit with it, the same as if I were serving quiche. Which is what this reminds me of, a crustless quiche. Hopefully it tastes as good as it looks:)

Ham and Cheese Egg Bake

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms sliced

6 green onions sliced

1 medium red pepper diced

2 TBS butter

1 3/4 cup cubed ham

1/4 cup all purpose flour

8 eggs-

1 3/4 cup milk

salt/pepper to taste

Combine cheeses; sprinkle into a greased 9X13 pan. In a large skillet, saute the mushrooms, onions and red pepper in butter until soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in ham to heat through. Season w/ salt and pepper. Spoon mixture over cheeses. In a bowl, combine the flour, eggs, milk and beat well. Season w/ salt and pepper. Pour over ham mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking. Bake uncovered @ 350º for 35-45 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes.

Mashed, Baked, Fried.......

Let's face it, there a ton of things we can do with the good ol' potato. It truly is a staple in American cooking. But how many of us get tired of the same thing over and over? I know I do. So, I am always looking for new potato recipes to use as side dishes. This is one I found on Recipezaar, one of my favorite go-to websites for inspiration. I varied it a little to satisfy our tastes, but they turned out delicious.

Broasted Potatoes

4 medium potatoes

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp thyme (or another favorite herb)

1 TBS olive oil

Cut potatoes into bite size pieces, and place in aluminum foil. Drizzle w/ olive oil and add salt, pepper, paprika, garlic and thyme. Wrap aluminum foil and seal. Place on top rack of oven (or grill) at 400º. Cook for 20 minutes. Turn and cook for another 20 minutes.

*I actually placed the foil pouch on a cookie sheet*

Potato

Too Hot For Soup??

Normally I would not be cooking soup on a day when the thermometer is supposed to reach 88º, but I wasn't really expecting this heat wave when I made my meal plan last week. Plus, when I find a new recipe I can't wait to use it, so putting this off until chilly weather is sort of impossible for me. I found this in a cookbook I purchased last week @ Half Priced Books called "The Good Housekeeping Illustrated American Cookbook".

It's a great book with tons of recipes and pictures to go with each one. Both of the finished product and step by step instructions. This will be the first recipe I have made from it and I hope it turns out as appetizing as it looks in the photo!

Corn Chowder

6 TBS butter

2 small potatoes (peeled and diced)

2 celery stalks minced

1 small green pepper minced

1 small onion minced

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 TBS flour

2 TBS paprika

1 1/2 cups water

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 16 oz. bag frozen corn

1 quart half and half

In a 4 quart saucepan over medium heat, in hot butter, cook next 5 ingredients until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes stirring frequently. Stir in the flour and paprika until blended; cook 1 minute.

Stir in water and bouillon; over medium heat, coo, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in corn and half and half. Cook, stirring frequently, until corn is tender and mixture is heated through, about 10 minutes.

Camping Trip Casserole

I don't think this would actually be considered a casserole, but we have never really had a name for it, so I had to come up w/ something. Each summer my mom and I would spend 2 weeks in PA with her family. During this time we would go camping for a few days. Well, our version of camping that included a Winnebago and indoor plumbing!! But each time, grandma would make this for a simple supper. I think she used it as a "roughing" it recipe b/c it cooks in one skillet and most of the ingredients come out of a can. But the flavors all meld well and it is something I still make, in the comfort of my air conditioned house:)

Skillet Casserole Hash

4 medium potatoes ( or 1 32 oz bag frozen diced potatoes, I use about 3/4 of the bag)

2 cans green beans, drained

2 small cans mushrooms, drained

1 package Smokey Links sliced

salt/pepper

Bake potatoes in microwave until tender. (Leaving the skin on is a personal choice. I usually peel them). Dice potatoes into small chunks. Heat vegetable oil in electric skillet to 350º. Add potatoes to hot oil and cook until browned. Add rest of ingredients and season w/ salt and pepper. Cook until heated through, about 10 minutes.

Shared on Celebrating Family July 19, 2011

Yes, I do bake sometimes......

I have already admitted to not being the world's best baker, or really enjoying baking. It isn't that I don't like dessert, b/c I do, I really do, baking has never appealed to me as much as cooking does. But there are times when I do it and it's fun--as long as it turns out well....ha ha. I like this recipe b/c it is super easy and it turns out perfectly every time.

Banana Bread

3-4 ripe banana smashed

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg beaten

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 1/2 cup flour

1 cup walnuts chopped

Preheat oven to 350º. With wooden spoon mix butter with bananas. Mix in sugar, egg and vanilla. Sprinkle w/ baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add flour and nuts last, mix until well combined. Pour into buttered loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour. Cool before slicing.

Bananas

A Forgotten Vegetable

Many times when I tell people I am making parsnips for supper, they either have no idea what I'm talking about, or they want to know how I prepare them b/c they don't know how. If you have never eaten a parsnip, I've heard it described like this on the Food Network -"A spicy carrot". And I think that is a pretty accurate description. They look like a carrot, but have a bolder flavor. I grew up eating parsnips and got my love for them from my dad. Now I've shared that love w/ Adam and they really are one of our favorite veggies. I cook them the way my dad did, and he was taught by his mother. So, it's really a generation recipe. My grandpa used to grow them in his garden in Pennsylvania, and I'm not kidding when I say they were as big as your head! The unique thing about them is they aren't dug out of the ground until after the first freeze, so it wasn't uncommon to see him or my dad out in the garden on Christmas morning digging up the vegetable for lunch! Adam grew them once here in our garden, and while they were tasty, and a real treat b/c it was long after grandpa had stopped, they were never quite the same as those mammoth ones from Pa. So each time I make them, I am back "home" b/c even though I'm a born and raised Hoosier, by heart will always lie in the Quaker State.

Sauteed Parsnips

6 medium parsnips

4-5 TBS butter or margarine

salt and pepper

Begin by peeling the parsnips and trimming the ends. Slice into long strips around the core, which can be very tough. I lay the parsnip on it's side and slice downward around the core. If the slices are still too large, cut in half. (All slices should be about the same size, about 2 inches long by 1 inch wide--they kind of look like a skinny triangle) If the cores do not seem very tough, they are totally eatable and do not need discarded.

Boil the parsnips in salted water until just fork tender. Do not over boil! Drain. Put in a skillet on medium heat w/ butter melted, season w/ salt and pepper and saute until browned on all sides- about 10 minutes. Add more salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Shared on Mommy's Kitchen June 5, 2011
Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box Aug. 9, 2011
Shared on Gooseberry Patch Sept. 14, 2011
Shared on Fave Diets Nov. 18, 2011

Parsnip





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Alex's Pick

While trying to decide what to post today, I let Alex go through my recipe box and this is what he found. ( Good thing he can read!!!) I found this recipe a few months ago when we were wanting 1. an easy dessert and 2. a blueberry fix. The thing that most appealed to me was the fact that when Alex was a baby, this was his favorite "baby food dessert" :-) We had jar upon jar of it in our cupboard; and ironically enough, when I was a baby it was also my favorite. So, this will always hold a special place in my heart!

Blueberry Buckle

2 cans blueberry pie filling

1 white cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans ( I chop them finer than what the store sells)

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

Pour pie filling into 9 X13 pan. Sprinkle evenly w/ cake mix and nuts. Pour butter over and spread evenly. Bake @ 350º for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Serve w/ whipped cream or ice cream

Blueberry

A Family Favorite

Inspired by Casa's in Fort Wayne I found a great recipe for baked mostaccoli and have been making it for a few years now. It's become one of our favorite meals, and one that I take to family events a lot, b/c it's so easy to prepare ahead of time and then bake off when you are ready. After it's baked, it's a great freezer meal too.

Baked Mostaccoli

1 lg jar spaghetti sauce with or without meat

1 lb mostaccoli- cooked just shy of al dente

1 lb small curd cottage cheese

1/2 cup Parmesean

2 eggs beaten

1/4 cup bread crumbs

8 oz mozzarella cheese

Mix all ingredients except sauce and half of mozzarella. In bottom of 9X13 pan, pour enough sauce to cover bottom. Add a few tablespoons of sauce to pasta mixture. Spoon mixture into pan. Spread w/ rest of sauce and top w/ remaining cheese. Bake @ 375º for 45 minutes. If made ahead, increase cooking time to 1 hour.

I Just Threw A Plate On The Floor....

Okay, not really. But when prepping our Greek inspired meal for tonight, I felt like I should be :-)

We are huge fans of Greek food, especially Gyros. There is a great place here in Fort Wayne, King Gyros that serves them like no one else and it's a treat to be able to go there. But I wanted to be able to serve something similar here at home. So when we found ground lamb @ our local butcher the idea of making a burger that has the same flavors as a gyro came to mind. This will be the first time I've made them, so experimentation is my friend. Hopefully they taste as good as they sound in my mind.

Gyro Burgers

1 lb. ground lamb

1 1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp salt

Combine all ingredients and form into patties. Grill until all juices run clear, about 2 minutes on each side. Serve on buns or in pita pockets w/ sliced tomatoes and sliced white onions and cucumber sauce (see recipe below)

* This is my variation on several recipes I found on Greek seasonings and cooking times for lamb burgers.*

*I am serving them on buns, but if you prefer pita pockets, you might want to make a more oval shaped burger to fit better. And I'm serving them with tomatoes and onion b/c that is what comes on the gyros we like.*

Tzatziki Sauce

16 oz Greek Yogurt (or plain regular yogurt)

4-10 cloves garlic finely chopped ( I used 6 and I grated them)

1/2 cup diced cucumber (seeds removed)

1 TBS olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice

Prepare all ingredients in advance. Combine oil and lemon juice in mixing bowl. Fold in yogurt makes sure it mixes completely w/ oil. Add garlic and cucumber and mix well. Chill for several hours.

*The grocery store was out of Greek yogurt when I went so I used Dannon Plain Yogurt*

Quick Weeknight Supper

Since a lot of people ask how I come up w/ the meal plans I do, I thought I would share a very easy and quick supper I do at least once a month. It's a crowd pleaser!

Pork chops (cooked your favorite way)

Stuffing

Apple Sauce

Vegetable of your choice

Tonight we are grilling sirloin chops that I marinated simply in olive oil, salt and pepper. And I'm using left over candied carrots as our veggie, but I've done carrots, parsnips, or winter squash with this meal too.

Happy Anniversary

In honor of my 7th wedding anniversary today I'm sharing a recipe I made for the first time while Adam and I were on our honeymoon in New Smyrna Beach, FL. It was sunny, hot beach weather and a great salad just sounded appropriate. So I threw this together off the top of my head and he LOVED it. So, Happy Anniversary Honey, I love you!

Summer Spinach Salad

1 9 oz. bag baby spinach

Small red onion- finely chopped

8 oz. white mushrooms- sliced

4 hard boiled eggs- chopped

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3-4 bacon slices fried crisp and chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Raspberry vinaigrette ( I buy whichever one looks good in the store that day, or if you have a favorite home made one, that would work great too)

Wash spinach, remove any tough stems, and drain. Combine all ingredients and chill for about 1/2 hour. If serving entire salad, add dressing to taste. If you think there will be some salad left over, you might want to only dress single portions to avoid soggy leftovers.

Shared on Simply Delish July 15, 2011
Shared on Amee's Savory Dish July 15, 2011
Shared on Lovely Little Snippets July 17, 2011

It's 11:00 a.m.--Brunch Anyone??

This recipe would make a great weekend brunch, but honestly, I use it more for a quick and simple weeknight supper. Add some fresh fruit and some store bought hashbrowns and it makes a full meal.

Sausage Quiche

1 deep dish pie shell (from frozen food section)

1 lb ground sausage

3 eggs

2/3 cup milk

1 tsp salt

dash pepper

2 cups cheddar- divided

Bake pie shell @ 400º for 3 minutes. Remove and prick w/ fork. Bake 5 minutes more. Let cool and cover w/ clean kitchen towel. (Can do the night before and leave sitting on counter.)

Brown sausage and drain fat. Combine eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Beat well. Stir in sausage. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cheese on bottom of pie shell. Top w/ egg mixture and remaining cheese. Bake on a cookie sheet @ 375º for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Egg Yolk

Weekends Are For BBQ

While I don't really have a recipe to share today I thought I would share 2 "gems" I recently added to my arsenal. Thanks to the cookbook I received from Adam and Alex for Mother's Day these 2 recipes are ones that even if not used a lot are great to have in a collection. Both come from "Down Home With The Neelys". And if you are a fan of their show on Food Network, you know BBQ is their trade, and they do it like no one else:)

Neely's Barbecue Seasoning

1 1/2 cups paprika

3/4 cup sugar

3 3/4 TBS onion powder

Stir together in a small bowl. Stored in an airtight container, in a cool dry place, this seasoning will last up to 6 months.

* This is the "general" seasoning they use in a lot of their recipes. It's a great one to add to a spice cupboard.

Neely's Barbecue Sauce

2 cups ketchup

1 cup water

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp black pepper

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder

2 TBS fresh lemon juice

2 TBS Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 TBS light corn syrup

1 TBS Barbecue Seasoning (see above)

Combine all ingredients in a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Reduce the temperature to very low and simmer, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cool, and use as needed. Stored in a tightly sealed container this sauce will keep in fridge for up to 2 months.

I love BBQ but have found a lot of store sauces don't give me the flavor I'm looking for. So, I'm excited to try both of these in the very near future.

Here I Go.......

Well, enough people have asked or suggested I do this, so I figured it was about time I listened :-)

I enjoy sharing/swapping recipes so much and have been posting them on Facebook long enough to know that others enjoy it as much as I do.

Now here is the first warning....there will not be some great meal planned every day! Let's face it, busy moms are in high demand these days and I, like the next one, enjoy ordering take out or throwing some chicken nuggets in the oven at the end of a long day. But for the most part, a weeknight meal is something I plan each day.

For the second warning.....I am not responsible for recipes that don't turn out, children or husbands that don't enjoy them, or ones that are loved so much the neighbors smell it and come running!!!!

So check back whenever you can to see what's cooking @ the Marshall house and maybe it might be something you want to try at your house too!