Crock Pot Apple Crisp

Ahhh, more apples! I'm not sure what I love most about fall, the cooler weather, the return to school routines, or the fresh produce. Specifically the apples. Growing up, my family didn't really garden or put up a lot of food. Mom was (and is) an awesome cook, we just didn't cook ahead much. Except for applesauce. She and dad and I would peel and core them, and mom would cook them down. I still adore the smell of cooking apples. Takes me right back. 

Then I got married, and I have to tell you, my mother-in-law makes the best apple pie ever. She makes one for my birthday every year, and then for my mom's birthday, too. More happy memories. These days, I like making applesauce the easy way, with the Victorio strainer. Even though it speeds up the process, it's still a family event. Lots of fun. And always, that great smell of cooking apples.

Today's recipe is one that's easy to throw together quickly. I call it Crock Pot Apple Crisp, or Oatmeal for People Who Hate the Texture of Oatmeal. Some of us cannot stand that slimy texture of cooked oatmeal. (I would be the only one in my house who feels that way.)

This serves up nicely as a dessert or a breakfast. 

Leni's Notes:

~This one is all about personal tastes. Make it as sweet as you like. More fluid will give you a more traditional oatmeal texture, less will give you more of an apple crisp.I'm going to list it like I made it this time, but I play with the measurements each time I make it.

~This recipe will usually give us dessert for 4 (with a scoop of ice cream) and breakfast for 3 the next morning (with a little more fluid added, and rewarmed.)

~About the Oats. I hate it when I'm making a recipe and need one kind of oats, but only have the other. For this recipe, you can use either. If you use whole oats, give it the longer cooking time, and some extra fluid. If you use quick oats, it will cook faster and you can cut back on the fluid that's added at the very end.

~The amount of sugar you use will depend on how sweet you like your oatmeal and how sweet your apples are. Even if you always use the same type of apple, the sweetness changes with how ripe they are, so adjust accordingly.

Ingredients

4 Quart Crock Pot

3 large Cortland apples, peeled, cored and sliced thick

Approximately 2 Cups Whole or cut oats  

Approximately 1 C Raw Sugar

Approximately 1 tsp Cinnamon

1 stick of butter

Approximately 1 C water or apple cider

Instructions

~Grease the inside of the crock.

~Place the slices from one apple into the bottom of the crock.

~Cover with about 1/2 C of oats. 

Seriously, I throw this in by the handful, so I don't measure. It should not completely bury the apples.

~Sprinkle on raw sugar, 1/4 C or less. 

This is where your personal taste really comes in. You can always add more at the end.

~Add a light dusting of cinnamon, 1/4 tsp, give or take.

~Slice 1/3 of a stick of butter into pats, and place on top of the layer.

~Repeat this process for two more layers.

~Add water or cider.

Again, this is to personal taste. For a drier product, add about 1/2 C. For a traditional oatmeal, add about 1 C. You can add more at the end if you like it soupier.

~Cover, cook on high for 3-4 hours, or low for 5-6.

~For Crisp: Do not stir. When done cooking, remove lid and let cool for 30 mintues before serving.

~For oatmeal, stir towards the end to break up the apples. Serve immediately.

Blessings from my apple-scented home to yours,

Leni

Mocha Latte Syrup

One day of warm weather, and I'm already thinking of cold drinks!  Iced Mochas, Cherry Berry Chillers, Frozen Lemonade...mmmmm.... I have a goal to not blow all my free money on fast food icy drinks this summer, so I dug out an old recipe we whipped up years ago when we wanted to have a treat without all the nasties in it. Back in those days, getting ahold of food dye or artificial flavors would mean days of chaos in our home, so I wasn't taking any chances! These days, I'm glad I can make it decaf as caffeine makes my heart go pitter pat in a most unnerving way. ;o)

Since I had the handy dandy squeeze bottle left over from the wedding coffee bar, I whipped up a double batch and filled it up. You can see how much is missing since I made it a week ago. I did NOT use all that myself! I still have teens in the house, you know.

 Here is our Mocha Latte all dressed up with whipped cream. 

Leni's Notes:

~Super easy. Just don't let it boil over.

~Might be interesting with some different extracts. Coconut? Hazelnut for a Nutella flavor?

Ingredients:

3/4 C Raw Sugar

1/3 C cocoa powder

1/4 C instant decaf coffee crystals

1/2 C water

1 T vanilla

Whipped Cream, optional

Instructions:

~Combine sugar, cocoa and coffee in a pan.

~Whisk together until completely mixed.

~Add water, whisk until combined.

~Bring to a boil, lower temp and let simmer for 1-2 minutes. 

Be careful not to let it boil over, it can happen very quickly.

~Remove from heat, add vanilla and stir.

~When cool, pour into a container.

~Does not require refrigeration unless it's not going to get used up in a month or so.

~To serve, mix 2 Tablespoons of syrup into a glass of milk, adjust to suit your tastes.

~If you want to dress it up, pipe some whipped cream on top. (But it's kind of overkill. ;o)

Blessings from my eager-for-summer kitchen to yours,

Leni

Parmesan Cream Casserole

Lately, my life seems to be nothing but racing from one obligation to the next. The dinner table is a good measure of how busy I am, as cooking tends to take a back seat when I get over-scheduled. Recently I was looking for something quick I could make after work when I was determined NOT to put another frozen pizza or tray of chicken strips in the oven.

I decided to pull out an old favorite. We used to use this sauce back in the day when my kids just could not tolerate tomatoes. We used it on everything. Pizza, pasta, veggies, you name it! It is really quick and easy to make, and chances are you have all the ingredients in your kitchen on any given day.

The picture doesn't do it justice. You'd need smell-o-vision for that. It's so intoxicating! All that creamy, cheesy goodness...yum.

Leni's Notes:
~Use whatever type of milk and cream cheese you like. You can go low fat or full fat without changing the consistency.
~I used peas this time, but usually use spinach. Use your favorite veggie, but make sure to time it's addition to the boiling water so that it has enough time to cook thoroughly.
~The sauce is really good for a white pizza. My adults kids still talk about how much they loved that pizza.
~Spirals and bow ties are great for this.
~This is a throw-in dish. Whatever sounds good, go for it.

Ingredients:
1 lb favorite whole wheat pasta
1/2 lb frozen peas
1 1/2 C milk
1 C shredded Parmesan cheese
2 - 4 cloves of minced garlic
2 Tablespoon dry oregano
8 oz. cream cheese
4 Tablespoons butter
2 C chunked up leftover chicken or turkey

Instructions:
~Boil pasta in a dutch oven.
~When pasta is almost done, throw in the peas.
~When pasta and peas are done, drain them in a colander and set aside while you make the sauce.
~Place milk, cheese, garlic, oregano, cream cheese and butter in the dutch oven.
~Turn to medium heat and stir until the cream cheese is completely melted and the mixture starts to thicken.
~Remove from heat and stir in pasta/peas and chunked meat.

Blessings from my hectic kitchen to yours,
Leni

Peanut Butter "Tandy" Cake

I have had this recipe for Tandy Cake floating around my cookbook shelves for many, many years. I had no idea where it came from, but assumed that it came from my girlfriend who's last name is Tandy. Makes sense, right? So I let her know that I had made some changes to it, and asked if it would be ok to share it on my blog. Her response? "That's not my recipe, I'm allergic to peanut butter!" What?!

So she quickly did some investigating and we discovered that the recipe is a knock of recipe for a store bought snack cake. Who knew? Seems that everybody and their brother has their own version of a Tandy Cake recipe. Hmph.

Well maybe they do, but do they have a model as adorable as mine? The little missie pictured above is enjoying a piece of my Tandy Cake. She prefers to first bathe in her cake, and then when it's well seasoned, eat it up. My husband took this picture. He kind of adores this little lady and the glint that's always in her eye. I think they are kindred spirits. Apparently during this process, someone tried to wash some of the chocolate off of her face. One observer said that she got kind of an insulted look on her face, and carefully filled in the clean spots with chocolate (by rubbing the cake on her face) until she was in 'full makeup' again. I think she should model all my food from now on!

This recipe is really fast to whip up, and makes a huge batch. Wonderful for a houseful of company or a back yard full of kids. I made it for a dessert fellowship at church.

Leni's Notes:

~Traditional Tandy Cake knock offs have a layer of peanut butter and then melted chocolate is poured on top, making a hard chocolate layer. We really didn't like it that way. This version gives it more of a soft almost peanut butter fudge layer on top.

~I also made a version with dulce la leche and hot fudge. ;o)

~I am now dying to make a version with coffee in the cake batter and/or maybe a salted caramel topping. I see myself headed back to the kitchen very soon.

~Travels well, doesn't get stale quickly, so I also making it as a snack of the week type item. 

Ingredients:

4 eggs

2 cups sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp melted butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups creamy peanut butter
2 bags (4 cups) chocolate chips

~Combine everything except peanut butter and chocolate and mix well.
~Pour into a greased jelly roll pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.
~Take out of oven and put dollops of peanut butter all over the surface.
~Let the peanut butter warm for a couple of minutes, then spread evenly over surface.
~Immediately sprinkle top of cake with the chocolate chips.
~Let sit until the chips are all melting (you'll notice a subtle change in color.)
~If time has elapsed for some reason and the cake has cooled too much to melt the chips, pop it back into the hot oven for a minute or so.
~Spread the melted chips over the peanut butter, and let the two ingredients swirl together.
~Let cool at room temperature.
~Cut into squares and serve with a glass of milk. ;o)

Blessings from my peanut butter-covered kitchen to yours,
Leni

Herbed Dipping Oil

A couple of years ago, we had our first trip to Carrabba's for dinner, and my husband was hooked on the dipping oil and herbs. If that was all that was served, he'd probably be a happy man. So we immediately started looking for a knock-off recipe. We even got the exact recipe (or so they said) from the waiter and the restaurant. None of them were exactly right, so we tweaked it to our tastes. 

If you're looking for a way to stretch a meal, or keep the masses at bay while dinner finishes, or just have something that encourages everyone to sit around the table and talk, I recommend a loaf of fresh bread and and nice bowl of dipping oil. Give everyone a plate or bowl and enjoy.

Leni's Notes:
~Spring for good olive oil, and get the extra virgin. Anything that's heavier will allow the oil to over-power the herbs.
~Be creative with the bread. Make your own or go to the local market and grab a variety of breads to try.
~Adjust the spices to your family's taste. If there's something you particularly love or hate, adjust accordingly.
~I find kids love this too, so don't think you're saving it all for the adults! Caution kids not to scoop up the herbs on their bread. They'll be in for a nasty surprise, and possibly and upset stomach later.
~If we are a small gathering, we leave a bowl in the middle of the table, as pictured. For a larger group, you can ladle onto individual plates, or leave the herbs and oil unmixed and put a scattering of herbs on a plate and drizzle with oil. Keep the oil on the table, you'll run out and the herbs go a long way.


Ingredients:
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon powdered garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne powder
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 - 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (add more as needed)
1-2 loaves of fresh bread

Instructions:
~Crush all dry ingredients with a mortar and pestle. (Rub herbs between your hands if you don't have a mortar and pestle.)
~Place into a bowl, and add minced garlic and olive oil.
~While dipping or serving, make sure that you continue to stir up the herbs.
~When oil runs low, add more and stir.

Blessings from my happy to kitchen to yours,
Leni

The Gang's All Here Sweet & Savory Pork Tenderloin

As you may have deduced, I enjoy cooking for friends and family. ;o) I'm always playing with recipes, tweaking and experimenting. While I love doing that, I also like to keep a nice supply of go-to meals. The type the everyone loves, and for the most part never go wrong when I make them. Today's recipe might look familiar, as it was inspired by ChanceLee Chicken.

I was looking for something I could make for a large group without losing quality in the cooking. I decided to make it with pork tenderloin. That turned out to be a terrific choice! I love the way my house smells when I make this stuff. 

I made some changes to the recipe, nothing too major. I like making this dish for company because the sweetness makes it a huge hit with the kids, and the spicy makes it have a nice taste for the grown ups, also. The kiddos at dinner (aged 7 and under) were pleased and asking for seconds, so that makes me a happy camper. Pretty sure my 16 year old faked illness to come home early from an overnight so she could have some too. ;o)

Leni's Notes

~This recipe is intended to feed a large group (we got 14 servings,) so scale down accordingly. 

~Also pictured above, stir fried french green beans and egg noodles with butter and parsley. Also good with cous cous and carrots.

~Every time you warm it up, the sauce gets a little thicker and the sweet gets a little more intense, so you might want to add some water to thin it and maybe some more salt or soy sauce if you have leftovers.

~Generally when I list soy sauce, I mean Bragg's Liquid Aminos. This time we used Coconut Aminos. The taste was good, but it had half the sodium, so the finished product needed salt. (Coconut Aminos are crazy expensive, but if you have an allergy to soy, a nice alternative.)

~Replace the pepper with cayenne for an extra spice kick.

Ingredients

4 pork tenderloins

1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup ginger ale

2 Tbls. lemon juice
6 Tbls. minced garlic
4 Tbls. soy sauce
2 tsp. white pepper 

1/4-1/2 cup corn starch

Instructions

~Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

~Sear tenderloins in a cast iron pan with olive oil.

~Place tenderloins in a greased 13 x 9 pan.

~ Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and pour over tenderloin.

~Place in oven, uncovered, for 45-60 minutes, until a meat thermometer says they are done.

~Remove from pan, slice into tenderloin coins, and place in a dish or on a platter, and pour sauce over the top.

~Serve with your favorite side dishes.

Blessings from my kitchen to yours,

Leni

Easy Hot Fudge

Whether you're looking for a simple, yummy gift to give for Christmas, or just having a serious chocolate craving, this hot fudge will do the trick. 

Many years ago, when Steve and I were dating, he introduced me to the best holiday treat ever. Peppermint Stick Ice Cream with Hot Fudge. How I had never come across this before is beyond me, but now it brings about the happiest memories for me. I was grocery shopping recently, and to my delight came across the coveted ice cream! There was nothing to do but grab some hot fudge and head home for a feast. Then I saw the price of a jar of hot fudge! Crazy! Especially when it's full of nasty stuff that does not make chocolate taste better.

So I detoured to the baking aisle to grab a couple of ingredients, and high-tailed it home to whip up some fudge while dinner was finishing up. 

Leni's Notes:
~Easy to dress up with some peppermint extract.
~This recipe will fill a one quart canning jar, with left overs. For gift giving, use jelly jars and dress up with some ribbon. Warms well in a water bath.
~Use this for one of the layers of an ice cream cake. I think I need to post that recipe too. Haven't made it in years. Yum...

Ingredients:
2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 - 2 bags of good quality chocolate chips

Instructions:
~Place the chips in a glass bowl.
~Warm the sweetened condensed milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
~When milk starts to steam (best not to let it boil) remove from heat, and pour over chips.
~Stir gently until chips are all melted.
~If you're going to add any extracts, now would be the time to do so.
~Ladle over ice cream or whatever your little heart desires.
~Pour extras into canning jars and cover.
~Store in fridge, warm in a water bath.

Blessings from my kitchen to yours,
Leni

Sweet and Sour Meatballs for a Crowd

Today's recipe is one I used for my daughter's wedding, and a number of times for our Labor Day party when we were using the Luau theme. You can't go wrong with Sweet and Sour Meatballs. Unless of course, there's an abundance of bees, because those little stinkers LOVE pineapple! Our 1st Annual Davis Labor Day Party was almost a disaster because of the invasion of bees. What's worse is that the next day, we pulled leftovers out of the fridge, and discovered bees had burrowed down into them, and were coming out to investigate! I have an admittedly unreasonable fear of bees, so it was kind of a nightmare come true.

I don't have a picture currently, because I took the last of the meatballs to the Christmas Cookie Exchange. ;o) So here's a picture of the wedding party, who is obviously thrilled, because they are finally going to get to eat meatballs! 

This recipe is insanely easy. You can make it difficult if you want to, by making your own meatballs. If you want to do that, I suggest the Meatball Evolution recipe.  That said, I find meatballs to be a pain in the tuckus to make! They just don't last long enough for the amount of work they take. I only make them if I need them for someone who can't do all the fillers in store-bought meatballs. So, unless you need a specific menu, buy the frozen ones, and throw this sauce over them in the crock pot. 

Leni's Notes:

~This more than filled our 18 quart roaster. This will do the roaster REALLY full, pluse a crock pot or two. Or better yet, get two roasters, and fill them both about half way so you have room to stir.

~If you're not having a wedding reception for 200 people, maybe cut the recipe down a bit. ;o)

~If you want to make a meal of this rather than appetizers, serve with rice or egg noodles. Wonderful. 

~If you have extras, they freeze really well, which makes for a quick dinner on busy nights.

~Not that it effects the flavor, but if you have a variety of bell peppers, the red, orange and green look beautiful on the plate.
~When I originally made this, it had soy sauce in it. (I used Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids.) It adds a nice fullness and cuts the sweetness, but as so many have trouble with MSG and soy, I just decided to leave it out.

Ingredients:

2 cups cornstarch

8 cups brown sugar

16 (15 ounce) can pineapple chunks, juice reserved

5 & 1/3 cup vinegar

6 chunked and seeded bell peppers
(Optional - 1 Cup soy sauce)

Instructions:

~Place meatballs, drained pineapple and chunks of green pepper into the roaster pan.

~Stir the cornstarch and brown sugar together in a saucepan and place over low heat.

~Add the reserved pineapple juice and vinegar; stir until smooth.

~Bring the mixture to a boil; pour over the meatballs in the slow cooker. 

~Cook the mixture in the slow cooker on low until the flavors are thoroughly combined, 3 to 4 hours. (If you do the big roaster, you might need more time, especially if the meatballs are crowded together.)

Blessings from my kitchen to yours,

Leni

Revolutionary Mac & Cheese

My search for the perfect macaroni and cheese is legendary. Well, amongst my family, anyways. They joke about how many "perfect mac & cheese recipes" I have found over the years. So now I have started to categorize them so that when I find them later I remember why this one was perfect for that moment. ;o) 

It is my pleasure to introduce you to one of those recipes today. This was a Pinterest find for me, I have the link to the original blog down by the recipe. For me, this one is perfect, because it's not time-consuming. You can arrive home after work, decide you really want mac & cheese, and within half an hour, have home-style comfort on your plate that didn't come with neon cheese powder. Also, it takes real ingredients that you are likely to already have in your fridge and pantry already. (No canned soup or evaporated milk...)

The beauty of it is, it's all one pot. You do not boil the pasta ahead of time. That's what caught my attention the first time around.

The picture below is what it looks like when it's done on the stove. Kinda bland looking, as we used white cheese this time. I decided to dress it up a bit  (details on that below) but it involved a broiler and an unnamed member of my family who has a love-hate relationship with said broiler. The end result was less than picture worthy, but still edible! ;o)

Leni's Notes
~We use whole wheat pasta, works just fine, takes a tad longer to absorb the milk.
~This last time, I used whole wheat rotini pasta. I do not recommend it. I ended up having to add another cup of milk, and it took a LONG time for the spirals to cook properly. I recommend shells or elbows. Bowtie works, but it's got a similar issue as the spirals. That thick middle section doesn't like to cook as well.
~The original recipe uses 2% milk. Whatever floats your boat. I use whole milk most of the time, and add other creamy ingredients.
~I have yet to try it, but I wonder if I could turn this into a frozen dish that could later be popped in the oven. I think it would work. (Thinking ahead to taking meals to other families.)
~Lots of good stir-in ideas. Cooked chicken or turkey for more of a main-dish casserole. I also have made it with half pasta, half broccoli and that worked really well.
~I always double this recipe, as I have 4 adult-sized people living here, and double recipe leaves me lunches for them to take to work. Single recipe leaves nothing left over.

Original recipe was found on this blog. As you can see, I've changed it up a bit, as I tend to do. Do what works for you, and enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 cups dried pasta
2 cups milk
1 cup loosely packed shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
2-3 ounces of cream cheese or flavored Laughing Cow (Sundried Tomato and Spice is lovely.)

Instructions:

~In a pan, add pasta, milk and cream cheese.
~Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes, until pasta is soft, stirring frequently and ensuring milk does not boil.
~Turn heat off, add cheese, salt, pepper and dry mustard.
~Stir until combined.
~Serve as is, or put in greased baking dish, and top with a mixture of bread crumbs and cheese.
~Bake or broil until topping is browned (not burned.)

I don't list a temp, because I usually have something else in the oven, so I put it in with whatever is in there.

Blessings from my kitchen to yours,
Leni

Slow Cooker Plan C Lasagna

Today's meal plan got changed a number of times as I tried to plan around the Hurricane Sandy possibilities.

Plan A was to make soup, but as I prepped lasagna for later in the week, I realized that if we lose power, my slow cooker wasn't going to be a lot of use. Soup can be made out on the grill. So, Plan B, we would have the lasagna tonight. Except I couldn't find the lasagna noodles! My daughter tore the pantry apart, but they were no where to be found. Plan C involved some whole wheat elbow macaroni. It all worked out.

My apologies for the dark picture. I usually take my food outside to be photographed in natural light, but Hurricane Sandy decided that we would have nothing but dark skies today. So all you get is this pitiful picture from my kitchen of what was left over after everyone dug in. It turned out pretty well, so who needs lasagna noodles?!

Leni's Notes:
~Change up the seasonings and ingredients to fit your tastes. I don't think I have ever made it exactly the same way twice.
~This recipe fed 4 adults for dinner, with enough for a couple lunch servings left over. If the whole family was home, I'd double it.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. ground beef, browned
2 links Italian sausage, grilled and sliced into thin chunks
1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 C water
1/2 lb. mozzerella cheese, shredded
2 C cottage cheese or ricotta
1/4 C parmesan cheese, grated
1 beaten egg
1/2 T dry parsley
1/2 T dry oregano
1 box whole wheat elbow noodles

Instructions:
~Mix the meat, sauce and water together.
~In another bowl, mix the cheeses, egg and dry herbs
~ In a greased crock, place the following layers:
1/4 Sauce
1/3 Noodles
1/3 Pasta
1/4 Sauce
1/3 Noodles
1/3 Pasta
1/4 Sauce
1/3 Noodles
1/3 Pasta
1/4 Sauce

~Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours.

Blessings from my kitchen to yours,
Leni

Crockpot Spinach Artichoke Dip

I have a special weekend edition for you! We hosted a bridal shower today, and this was one of the new recipes I tried. It was a huge hit. My daughter Noelle insisted that I send it to our family recipe email account immediately. ;o) One guest said that it was comparable to Applebee's version. Good news, since that was the bride's favorite!

Leni's Notes:
~I mixed this up and refrigerated it a couple of days ahead of time. Being that it was completely chilled, I didn't think it would warm through in 2 hours, so I popped it in the microwave for a couple of minutes first. (Yeah, I used a microwave...lol.)
~This was just enough to fit into our itty bitty 1 quart crock.
~Quartered artichoke hearts are found in the canned vegetable isle. I thought I'd save you the trouble, since I sure couldn't find them!
~We served these with Tostitos Scoops.
~We had a 16 oz container of spinach, and I ended up just throwing it all in. Didn't seem over spinach-y to any of us.

You can find the original recipe at Get Crocked. Looking forward to trying more of her recipes.

• 2 - 8 oz. packages of cream cheese, (softened)
• 3/4 c. half and half
• 1 tsp. onion, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
• 10 oz. bag frozen cut spinach, thawed and well drained
• 13 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and chopped
• 2/3 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1. Combine the cream cheese and half and half in a bowl until well blended. 2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.
3. Pour the mixture into the crock pot.
4. Cover. Cook for 2 hours or until thoroughly melted.

Confession Time

I had a nice visit with a group of ladies from our church last night. We were at a cooking demonstration,  and my daughter asked a question about how much the demonstrator cooked from scratch. She mentioned that she makes all of her own spaghetti sauce. I casually commented that spaghetti sauce was something I had never managed to master. My friend sitting next to me gasped and looked at me in wide-eyed disbelief. "What? You don't make your own sauce? You?!"  Who knew that I would be the cause of such disillusionment? ;o) 


Yes, it's true. While I'm sure there are many, many things I do not know about cooking, there are two things I know for certain that I am not good at. Spaghetti sauce and beef broth.  


I have never made a beef broth that was in any way palatable. I have followed every recipe, researched the modern wisdom of every Food Network Chef that's out there...I just can't pull it off. Lucky for me, Rachael Ray has done it for me, and after she's gone to all that trouble, it would just be rude to leave it sitting on the shelf!


To be fair, I have managed to make a spaghetti sauce that the family assured me was great, but I didn't think it was spectacular. And for as much work as I had to put into it, it needed to be spectacular for me to want to do it again! I see spaghetti sauce as my back up plan on any given day. When my day suddenly goes out of control and there is no time to cook, I can always open a jar of sauce, boil a pot of water for pasta and take some browned meat or meatballs out of the freezer to make a hearty meal that requires virtually no work. It's my cheater meal. 


So now that my cat's out of the bag, what's your deep dark secret? What stumps you in the kitchen? Is it something you wish you could master, or like me, are you totally fine with never learning how to make it? Leave a comment, let me know I'm not the only one!


Here's hoping that my buddy can get past the shock and still love me. Maybe I'll cook her something to restore her faith in me. 

I would like to thank Classico spaghetti sauce for helping me through my toughest mom days. ;o)

Cous Cous Davis Style

 

Cous Cous is a ridiculously easy dish to make, and so versatile. If you have any type of broth or gravy with your main dish, you can just make cous cous plain, and serve it along side. However, if you want a wonderful dish that stands on it's own, might I suggest you make it Davis style?

We are blessed to have a great Mennonite shop in a nearby town where we can get bulk ingredients, and some healthier options like whole wheat cous cous. Admittedly, the whoopie pies we stock up on while there no doubt cancel out the whole wheat benefit, but what are you going to do?

Here's a shot at what you need to gather up.

Leni's Notes:

The proportions for this recipe feed my family of 6, with leftovers for 2 or 3 lunches.

In pan, place:
2 1/2  C water
2 T butter
2 T dry chopped onion
1 T dry parsley
2 tsp. better than bouillon
1 tsp. minced garlic

In bowl, place:
2 C plain cous cous
1/4 C grated parmesan cheese

Put it all together:
Bring the ingredients in the pan to a boil.
Add the dry mixture, stir, cover and remove from heat.
Let stand for 5 minutes, fluff with a fork.
Add salt as needed.

Baken Chicken Parm Casserole

My friend Kim pinned a recipe on Pinterest that has made my family so happy! Chicken Parm Casserole was originated with Chef John from Food Wishes. I haven't read much of his blog yet. Just browsing the pictures, my mouth is watering.

Chef John does video recipes. They are great for seeing how he puts them together, but I'm going to sum up here. Please do go over and watch his videos!

Back to the Chicken Parm. I was skeptical for a couple of reasons. First of all, I'm supposed to believe you can get good chicken parmesan without frying? Second of all, because I am not a fan of meat cooked in tomatoes or tomato sauce, especially not chicken. I don't mind sauce being added afterward, but shy away from cooking in sauce. This recipe got such rave reviews, I decided to give it a try. My husband loves chicken parmesan, so it was worth the risk if it might give me an easy way to make this dish for him. Suffice it to say, I make double the amount now, because the first time everyone came back for seconds and were disappointed when it was gone. No leftovers for lunch!

Leni's Notes:
~The original recipe said this was done in 35 minutes. Probably because I do a large pan of it, it needed closer to an hour. Adjust accordingly.
~I pound my chicken just enough to even it out. Just pop it in a plastic storage bag, and use the flat side of a tenderizer to flatten it out a bit.
~If the topping starts to get too browned, slip a piece of foil loosely over the top for the last 15 minutes or so


Ingredients: 
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded and cut in half to make easier to serve pieces 
3 cups of your favorite spaghetti sauce
1 Tablespoon of Italian herbs (oregano for us) 
8 oz mozzarella, shredded
4 oz Parmesan, grated
about 10oz croutons, more as needed to cover the caserole

Preheat oven to 350.
Place olive oil and garlic in the bottom of the pan.
Place chicken on top of oil, evenly spread to fill the pan.
Top with marinara, basil, half of the mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
Evenly coat with croutons, then finish with the remaining cheese.

Bake for 35-60 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken. This is one of those times when I highly recommend a meat thermometer.

We like to serve this with a side of whole wheat spaghetti and marinara.

Enjoy! Love to hear your reviews!