Sausage and Peppers

This is my go-to when I need to feed a crowd!

It is so incredibly simple, and always is met with rave reviews.

This can be cooked in the oven (350, stirring until everything is tender and brown)
or in the crock pot (low for 6 hours)

Ingredients:
1 Large pack of sweet Italian sausage
2-3 Chopped green peppers
2-3 Large onion (cut into chunks)
1 bottle Sesame Ginger marinade

Cut sausages into bite sized pieces
(Freezing them for a little while helps this)
Cut vegetables
Cover with marinade
Cook.

Serve with rolls.
With the flavor of the marinade, there is no need for mustard with these!

Everyone in the pool!

Tender and ready to eat!

I would have had so much less of a mess if I had not run out of slow cooker liners!

Heaven and Hell

Hubby dearest came up with these for one of the many, many Patriots parties we have had.
Not sure which of the friends named them, it could have been a combination of people...but they say it's a little bite of Heaven (chocolate) and a little bite of hell (cherry).

He starts with a jar of marachino cherries, and drains the liquid out.
He then fills the jar with 151 rum.
*Note: Get cherries with no stem and no pits

After the third day of soaking, he drains the juice (reserved in another jar to make 151 cherry cokes) and fills it again with 151. Soak for another 2 days.
*Note: for less of a bite, you only soak them the once

Once you are done soaking, dry the cherries with a paper towel.
Skewer each cherry on a toothpick
Using dipping chocolate, dip each cherry.

Place in a container, on wax paper, and put in the fridge to set.

Serve (adults only!) and enjoy!

This was shared at this party

Junk Salad (Macaroni)

Growing up, I had no idea there was any other kind of macaroni salad other than this one. My mother and all of my aunties made it the same way.

As I have branched out and tried new salads, I like them, but nothing ever compares to the old faithful.

Ingredients:
1 Box elbow macaroni
1 Cup Mayo
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Pepper
4 Pickle spears (diced)
¼ Cup pickle juice
2 Tomato (diced)
1 Cucumber (diced)
1 Green pepper (diced)
1 Can tuna fish (drained)

Directions:
1. Cook pasta, drain
2. Mix all ingredients
3. Season to taste

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Spinach Soup

I am a book junkie. I will read (pretty much) any type of book.
I average almost 100 books a year, it's a great escape for me.

There is a series of mystery books by Diane Mott Davidson and her main character is a caterer. In each book she includes the recipes that the caterer makes.

I found a blog that included most, if not all of the printed recipes, and this is one of them.

When I made this soup, I found it was missing a little something. Sodium. As a family who isn't a big fan of salt, we decided to add some parmesan cheese. It was perfect!
(The lack of salt could be because I used veggie stock instead of chicken since a vegetarian friend will be eating this with us)


Ingredients:
5 Tbsp butter
¼ Lb mushrooms, diced
1 Scallion, chopped
5 Tbsp flour
2 Cup chicken broth
2 Cup milk
½ Tbsp salt
Black Pepper to taste
Ground Nutmeg (pinch or so)
¼ Lb cream cheese
1 Cup grated Jarlsberg
¾ Lb fresh spinach

Directions:
1. Melt butter in large saucepan
2. Saute the mushrooms and scallion until tender
3. Add flour and stir for a couple of minutes
4. Add liquids and cook until thickened
5. Stir in cheeses
6. Add spinach
7. Stir gently and heat thoroughly

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I got photobombed by heavy cream! I must have taken it out of the fridge because it was in the way of something else and just included it in the picture. By the time I realized my mistake, most of the packaging was gone and I was NOT digging thru the trash!

Cheese and Chili Pita Triangles

So, I had this grand scheme that I was going to try out this new recipe that I have had hanging around forever.

I grabbed everything I needed, with the exception of the olives (yuck, sorry girl child) and was all set to make them for a football party.

Party day came, and that was the last thing I was to make. I had tucked the recipe back away because "this is easy peasey, who needs the recipe".
Apparently I do.

I spread the chili sauce on the pita and topped it with cheese...just like a pizza.
Forgot the mayo and the green onion completely.
Certainly didn't use any mayo.

I can honestly say they were delicious! Every last wedge got eaten.
I fully intend to make these again, the REAL way, and take updated pictures.

Love when happy mistakes happen!

Ingredients:
1 Cup shredded mozzarella
1 Cup shredded cheddar
⅓ Cup chili sauce
¼ Cup mayonnaise
¼ Cup sliced pimento stuffed olives
4 (6-inch) whole pita breads (unsplit)


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Combine all ingredients except pita
3. Spread mixture on pitas
4. Cook 10-12 minutes
5. Let pitas stand 2-3 minutes and cut into wedges

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My original "more like pizza" version

Mashed Potato

I get asked how I make my mashed potato.
Apparently, "I don't know" isn't a good enough answer.

Seriously, it's all in the seasoning.
Butter is a big player here. There is nothing dietetic about my mashed potato. I use more butter for my family of three than some people I know do for their entire pot of Thanksgiving potato.

Here is what I use:

Pretty basic.

I wash and peel the amount of potato I plan on using.

Cut into about 1 inch cubes

Boil and mash

Season to taste

Done.

You know you are loving those pools of butter!

Nut Crescents

I do love playing in the kitchen, finding new recipes and seeing everyone light up as they are trying the new items.

This cookie looks way more difficult than they really are!

Ingredients:
1 ¼ Cup walnut halves
1 ½ Cup all purpose flour
¼ Tsp salt
1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (room temperature)
1 ½ Cups confectioners sugar
1 Tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spread walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Cool completely
3. Combine ½ cup flour with the toasted nuts (note: nuts should be finely ground. If you don’t have a food processor, make sure to grind them prior)
4. In a medium bowl, whish together the flour-nut mixture and the remaining 1 cup flour and salt. Set aside.
5. Beat butter and ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Beat in vanilla
7. Add flour, in two batches, beat until combined
8. Roll 1 Tbsp of dough into a 3 inch log. Using your fingers, shape log into a crescent.
9. Place crescents about 1 inch apart on parchment paper lined sheets
10. Freeze or refrigerate until crescents are very firm, about 30 minutes
11. Bake, rotating sheets halfway thru, until edges of cookies turn golden. About 16 minutes.
12. Cool on rack. Use remaining cup powdered sugar to cover cookies completely

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Ingredients