It’s a gorgeous day!  Temps in the lower 70′s. Windows open. PERFECT day to do some cooking:)  I have a friend, Monica, who is going through nursing school. This semester is proving to be even crazier than normal for her.  She is the mother of 5 very active boys – ages  5 – 15!! Her boys are all into football and soccer… not even mentioning their homework, her homework, housework, husband etc. Needless to say, the family schedule and cooking don’t really happen easily, so I thought I’d try to give her a break. I fixed a big old tray of spaghetti, garlic bread and salad and took it over.  The recipe I use is one that my sister in law showed me years ago.  It’s so good … and it takes no time at all (even better:)   Give it a try.  I make this and freeze it in batches. Kids LOVE it:) Enjoy!!

OK, HERE’S What You Need:

1 1/2 pounds of Ground Round (or chuck) (I doubled the recipe to take to Monica)

3/4 cup onions, chopped (I use the frozen ones as much as possible)

1 pound can of Crushed Tomatoes

2 small cans Tomato Paste

Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, Italian Seasonings

1/2  -  3/4 pkg of Angel Hair Pasta (cooked)

HERE’S What You Do:

In a large skillet, season and brown your hamburger meat (along with your onions)

When your meat is browned, add the crushed tomatoes and the 2 small cans of sauce.

Taste. Adjust salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add a nice pinch of Italian Seasoning. Simmer while you get your spaghetti started.

Drain your spaghetti and add to your sauce and toss (ooohhh, lookie there! I was a poet and didn't know it!:)

*** Once it’s tossed you can either serve or let it cool and put into freezer containers/bags and freeze. ***

I spread this batch out into a casserole tin and threw some mozzarella cheese over it before I put the foil over (so the cheese can get all nice and gooey:) Monica said the pan didn't last 20 minutes! I'm telling ya, it's delicious!

You know how food can bring back memories?  For me it’s happy memories like my Nannie’s mouth-watering greens and fried drummettes. Then there are the bad memories like that curry that made me sooooooo sick in London when I was pregnant with our oldest . In fact, til this day, I have a hard time saying the C word, and that was 14 years ago!!  This recipe is part of my HAPPY memories;) It’s for my Aunt Alice’s Peanut Butter Pie.  My (great) Aunt Alice was my daddy and Aunt Kathy’s aunt.  She lived down in Scottsburg, Indiana.  That lady could cook. I actually have several happy food memories from summers visiting Aunt Alice. She made THE BEST fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy.  It was always followed up with pie and her Peanut Butter was my favorite:)  Every summer, we’d pack up and head north to Indiana (from Louisiana) to visit Daddy’s side of the family.  We would spend a couple of days in Scottsburg with Aunt Alice and family, before heading on up to Grandma’s and Aunt Kathy’s.  We would go fishing at the pond, ride motorcycles with my cousin Chris and catch fireflies at night.  On Sunday, Aunt Alice would whip up her amazing meal. Our visit was complete:)   I am hoping that this recipe will bring happiness to your next family gathering like it always did our’s:) Enjoy!

Ok, HERE’S You Need:

• 1/2 T. margarine (I use butter)
• 1 T. vanilla
• 9 inch pie shell
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 2 cups milk
• 1 T. corn starch
• 2 T. sugar
• 1 pkg vanilla pudding (not instant)

HERE’S What You Do:

Take your pie crust...

rub you some Crisco or butter over the crust (I used butter)

Stick it in the oven and bake til nice and golden

In a bowl, mix together 1/3 cup peanut butter and 3/4 cup powdered sugar

I used my hands to get it to this mealy consistency

Take your pie shell out of the oven and let it cool a bit. Then sprinkle 2/3 of the peanut butter mixture onto the bottom of the shell.

In a bowl, whisk 3 egg yolks with 2 cups milk; add 1 T corn starch, 2 T sugar, 1 T vanilla and 1/2 T butter. Mix well and pour into a boiler.

Add your pkg of vanilla pudding and stir constantly until it thickens.

Now, pour your lovely thick pudding filling over the peanut butter crumbly bits:) Mmmm getting tempting huh?:)

Top with meringue and sprinkle the rest (or as much of it as you can) of the peanut butter crumblies on top and bake at 350 F for 15 to 20 minutes - or until the top of the meringue is all lovely and golden;)

Taaa daaaa!!! I hope that your family will include this in their happy memories as well:)

Hello all:)  Growing up, our Sunday lunch was always beef roast, rice, gravy, peas, etc;)  Paul’s English Sunday lunch was (and still is) a roast chicken, roast potatoes and Bisto gravy.  Mum will usually make little green peas and carrots to go with it; however,  Paul isn’t fond of the later 2 so it’s usually just chicken and potatoes here. It’s so easy to make and always makes him happy:)  So that’s what I’m sharing with yall today. Hope your weekend was great. Have a wonderful week!

OK, HERE’S What You Need:

1 Whole Chicken  - I usually get a  4 pound chicken

Yukon Gold Potatoes – I use about a pound and a half

Salt, Pepper and Veg Oil

HERE’S What you Do:

Take out the giblets and wash your chicken well. Pat dry inside and out. Salt and pepper the inside and out generously.  Place the chicken (breast side up), in a roasting pan of your choice that has a bit of veggie oil in the bottom.  Drizzle a little oil over the chicken and place into a 350 degree oven for 2 hrs.

Meanwhile, peel and cut (into 2×2 pieces). Place them in a boiler, cover with water and salt.  Boil until juuuuust almost tender.  You don’t want them falling apart. Drain. This is where I scuff them up a little bit. Place the colander  over the top of your boiler full of potatoes.  Shake up and down a little to make the outer potato scuffed. This makes the potatoes crispy when you roast them.  Coat a roasting pan with oil. Drizzle potatoes with oil and place in the same oven as your chicken.  Continue roasting both for the duration of the 2 hours (chicken cooking time).  By the time the 2 hours is up, if your potatoes are not as brown on top as you’d like, just turn your broiler on and let them brown up quickly (don’t turn your back on them! It won’t take long at all once you are at this point).

Put a nice salad on the table and you’re done:)   Eat, enjoy your family time and then, when it’s over, make the kids wash up:)

Hope everyone had a great weekend.  Our’s started off good until Saturday night.  We were eating supper and Sarah accidentally knocked Paul’s brand new iPhone 4 into her glass of milk. That pretty much killed it.  We’ve had it in a bag of rice since Saturday night. It seems to be coming back to life a bit at a time. I don’t think it will ever be the same.  Pretty sure we are going to be heading into the city to purchase a new one in the next couple of days.  Paul is dreading the expense but there is no way, as a web developer, that he can be without an iPhone.  Anyway, watch this space:)

Saturday, I made a big batch of chicken salad. It’s my simple way. I didn’t have almonds or pineapple on hand so it’s just plain. I love it this way though. So here is my way:) Yall enjoy!!

OK, HERE’S What You Need:

5 boneless skinless chicken breast

Salt, pepper, garlic powder

3 stalks of celery

1/2 yellow onion (this was on the smaller side)

about a cup of Mayonnaise

HERE’S What You Do:

Place the 5 boneless chicken breast on a foil lined pan.

Season - salt, pepper, garlic powder (or your fav seasoning)

Seal the foil. Bake at 350 F until done. About 45 minutes or so. My chicken was frozen so I had to cook longer.

Meanwhile, chop your celery and onion

Let your chicken cool for a bit.

Chop your chicken into 1/2 inch chunks

Shred the chunks a bit. Not to much though.

Add onions, celery and Mayo (1 cup) to your chicken. This is where you can also add pineapple or almonds... OR BOTH! If you do add pineapple, you might want to cut back on your mayo because the juice.

***MIX. Taste and adjust your seasoning***

I love it on the white bread that sticks to the roof of your mouth it's so fresh:) OR, you can just eat it right out of the bowl! However, if you added the other ingredients, you might want to be a bit more civilized and serve it on pretty bread or a crisp lettuce leaf. Anyway you serve it, it's going to be SO goooooooood:)

Hello!! I hope everyone’s week is going well. It’s almost the weekend and I have to say, I am ready for it! The other night, when I made the Shepard’s Pie, I also made one of my Aunt Kathy’s recipes – Beef Stroganoff. She’s made this recipe for years and years. It’s actually the only stroganoff I’ve ever had/made. My brother, Bill, just emailed me asking me again how she makes it so that’s what I’m leaving here today for yall:) It’s easy and its GOOOOD STUFF!!:) Enjoy!!
OK, HERE’S What You’ll Need:

1 lb of ground beef (I like to use ground round)

1 small onion cut up (if you don’t have one, just use dried minced onion)

salt, pepper, garlic powder

1lb button mushrooms (or 1 small can, DRAINED sliced up mushrooms)

1 can Cream of Mushrooms (or Chicken) soup

8oz sour cream

Serve over white rice or egg noodles

HERE’S What You Do:

1 pound ground round

Season w/ salt, pepper,dried onions,garlic powder & brown

***Now, drain your meat and put it to the side to keep it warm. Do not wash out your skillet.  Add about 1 T. butter to your skillet**

Mushrooms (small can drained or you can use fresh - I like fresh:) Instead of slicing, I like to break them up into quarters with my hands - nice chunky pieces.

Saute' your mushrooms in the skillet with butter and little bit of drippings left over from the hamburger meat.

Meanwhile, start your noodles - or rice (I use my rice cooker when I make the rice) Here I just made egg noodles.

Once your mushrooms are all nice and goldeny (like that word?:) browny, add your beef back to your skillet

To your meat/mushrooms, add a can of Cream of Mushroom Soup (or Cream of Chicken) and 8 oz of sour cream

Sour cream and Cream of Mushroom soup - mix into meat/mushrooms and simmer on low til warmed through.

***Remove noodles from heat and drain***

Serve stroganoff over noodles and ENJOY!:)