Strawberry Time!

My strawberries have gone nuts again this year, thanks to tons of rain and heat. Unfortunately all that rain has led to much of the crop rotting on the ground before I could pick it. I will probably be able to get one batch of jam out of this year's crop.

My struggle with strawberries is... I'm the only one in the family who really likes them. So I start to get burned out on eating them after a bit. The jam was a big hit last year... I made two batches of freezer jam. We're still eating on it and my mom is always happy to take some.

This year, I was determined to get Alex to try strawberries. Alex, being distinctly my child, is a picky eater. I gave my mother fits growing up, refusing to eat so many things it would take weeks to list it all here. I have outgrown this picky-ness quite well, I think. Alex is coming around. I insisted that he stop saying "I hate that!" about foods he hasn't tried. Instead, he's supposed to say "I've never tried that." It's actually working, and I've gotten him to try a few new foods over the past month or so. I figured we'd give strawberries a shot since I knew we'd have a lot of them.

He wanted to help me pick the strawberries and I told him he could, but he would have to eat a strawberry. He said, "I won't eat a strawberry, but I would try a strawberry smoothie."

Alright! I have an entire smoothie cookbook. And I only make healthy smoothies, so I was THRILLED!

Tonight was the night. He pronounced the smoothie "So delicious!"

Here's the recipe:

2-3 cups whole strawberries
1 banana
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 to 1/2 cup plain low-fat or fat free yogurt
Ice if desired

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Makes about 3 good sized smoothies.

Another Easter Recipe

Here's another recipe from my non-traditional Easter dinner. This is a family favorite!

Layered Strawberry Jello Salad

2 (3 oz) pkgs Strawberry Jello
2 small pkgs frozen strawberries
2 medium bananas
1/2 pt. sour cream
powdered sugar to sweeten

(this is prepared in a 9 inch square Tupperware container)
Dissolve 1 box jello in 1 cup hot water. Add 1 pkg of frozen strawberries and stir. Place in refrigerator till set. Slice bananas thin and layer on top of jello. Mix powdered sugar into sour cream until just sweet to taste. Spread sour cream as the next layer. Let chill for an hour. Repeat jello layer as above. Chill till set. Slice and serve!

Broccoli Slaw Salad

This is one of my "go-to" recipes. It's easy. It's tasty. It's a crowd pleaser. It also makes a bunch and tastes just as good the next day.

Broccoli Slaw Salad

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 packages beef ramen noodles - reserve seasoning packets
1 pkg broccoli slaw
1 15oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup slivered almonds

In a 1 quart resealable bag, mix sugar, oil, and vinegar. Add seasoning packets from ramen noodles. Dump in broccoli slaw, toss well. Break up one package of ramen noodles and add to bag. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Add remaining ingredients and toss well just before serving.

Recipe Swap Thursday- Sugar Cheese Crescents

Therese requested Christmas Cookie recipes for this week. This is one of my favorites. It's an unsual cookie. There's nothing really Christmas-y about it, other than my mom only made them at Christmas. First the recipe, then a story.

Sugar Cheese Crescents

1 cup sugar (divided)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup softened butter (I use margerine)
1/3 cup sweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine 1/2 cup sugar and all remaining ingredients except cheese and cinnamon. Blend well, then add cheese. Mix cinnamon with remaining sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into balls by rounded teaspoonfuls. Roll balls in cinnamon sugar mixture. Shape into crescents.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Remove from sheet immediately.

This is one of my all time favorite cookie recipes. I used to help my mom make these every Christmas. I think my other favorite would be my Busia's Kolachy. There's a bunch of different takes on Kolachy... my grandma's were cookies... made with pastry, with jelly placed on top, then topped with powdered sugar. (I know some people do a Kolachy that is more like a coffee cake.)That's one recipe I don't have yet... will have to get it from my mom. I could gorge myself on Christmas cookies each year, except I don't normally have time to bake that many. These are really good slightly warm with a big glass of milk!

Recipe Swap Thursday - Candied Sweet Potato Casserole

Please go check out all the great recipe's at Therese's Blog... and submit one of your own!
This weeks theme is Thanksgiving! Take a peek and get some new ideas for Turkey Day!

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, divided
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
4 tablespoons butter or margerine, divided
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2 cups mini marshmallows

preheat oven to 375.
Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar, orange juice, vanilla, and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice in large bowl. add sweet potatoes, toss to coat. transfer to 9 x 13 baking dish. Dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Cover and bake 45 minutes until potatoes are tender.

Mix remaining brown sugar w/flour, 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice in medium bowl. cut in remaining 2 tablespoons butter w/fork till crumbly. stir in pecans and marshmallows.

Remove casserole from oven. stir gently to coat potatoes in syrup. top with marshmallow crumb topping. Bake uncovered 7-10 minutes. Makes 10 servings.

This is a great side dish... especially if you're having people over for Thanksgiving dinner. Even people who don't really like sweet potatoes have complemented me on this one.

Recipe Swap Thursday - Banana Daquiris

Okay, I realize it's probably slightly inappropriate for a woman as pregnant as I am to be posting a recipe for an alcoholic beverage. Rest assured, I have not now, nor will I consume alcohol while pregnant. But I can fantasize about having an adult beverage a few months from now, right???

Please, please please, head over to my good friend Therese's blog, check out the great recipes, and submit one of your own!

Banana Daquiri
1-2 ripe bananas
2 ounces dark rum (or banana rum)
splash triple sec
3-5 scoops of vanilla ice cream
ice cubes

Put all ingredients in blender. Blend.
Sprinkle nutmeg on top if you like. (It makes it look pretty.)
Enjoy!

This was my favorite drink while we were on our honeymoon in St. Thomas, USVI. This recipe is the closest I've found to they way they made them at Mountain Top, the place that claims to have invented the banana daquiri. Sadly, I learned that earlier this year this lovely place burned to the ground!

Recipe Swap Thursday - Beef & Parmesan Pasta

Take a trip over to Musings of a Mom for the soon-to-be-famous Recipe Swap Thursday.

This is a fan-favorite. I love it because it's really easy to make, doesn't take a lot of time to prepare or cook. Yet it tastes like something you slaved over. Those are the best kinds of recipes!

Beef & Parmesan Pasta

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef
1 (14 oz) can beef broth
1 (15 1/2 oz) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
2 cups uncooked bowtie pasta (farfalle)
2 cups thinly sliced zucchini (approx 1 small zucchini)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Brown ground beef in large skillet, breaking into pieces. Drain. Season with salt & pepper. Remove beef from skillet and set aside.
Add broth, tomatoes, and past to skillet. Push pasta into liquid. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Add zucchini, cook 5 more minutes or until pasta is tender. Return beef to skillet. Stir in parmesan cheese. Heat through. Sprinkle with additional parmesan cheese before serving.

*note... if liquid gets soaked up and the pasta seems dry, add a few tablespoons of water to keep past from burning to skillet.

Recipe Swap Thursday - Impossible Southwest Salsa

Take a trip over to Musings of a Mom for the soon-to-be-famous Recipe Swap Thursday.

This totally simple salsa always gets big compliments whenever I take it to a party.

1 jar of your favorite salsa
1 can of corn (drained)
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)

Mix all three together and serve with tortilla chips.
Does it get any easier than that?
You can switch up the flavor of it by using different salsas.

Recipe Swap Thursday - Pumpkin Bars

Pumpkin Bars
(This is my mother-in-law's recipe! It's a family favorite!)

1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs (beaten)
1 cup oil
1 15 oz. can pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in large bowl.
Spread batter in ungreased jelly roll pan. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Cream Cheese Frosting

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese (softened)
3/4 stick butter or margerine
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all ingredients together till creamy. Spread over cooled bars.

Head over to Therese's blog for more wonderful recipes for Recipe Swap Thursday!

Recipe Swap Thursday

My friend Therese is once again hosting Recipe Swap Thursday. Go check out the other offerings at her blog, Musings of a Mom.

Easy Black Bean-Beef Enchiladas
(This recipe makes up to 16 enchiladas, depending on how much meat you use and how full you stuff them!)

1 to 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 15 oz. can black beans (rinsed & drained)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 tsp. cumin
1 cup monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese, shredded
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can red enchilada sauce flour tortillas (soft taco sized)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray (I recommend either square, oval or 9X13 dish). Brown ground beef, drain. Salt and pepper to taste. Add onion and black beans. Cook till onions are transparent. Place 3 tablespoons of meat/bean mixture into tortilla, top with monterrey jack cheese, roll tightly and place seam side down in baking dish. Repeat until all mixture is used. Pour enchilada sauce over enchiladas. Cover with alumninum foil which has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove from oven, top with cheddar cheese before serving.

(The original recipe was vegetarian. I added ground beef. You can also substitute shredded chicken if desired.)

That's What Friends are For

My friend Therese had a baby girl two weeks ago. Alexandra is absolutely adorable! I finally got to see her Sunday when I dropped dinner off for Therese, her husband, and their three boys!

When I had Alex, between my mom, Craig's mom, and some good friends up here, I had several dinners made for me in the first few weeks after having a baby. It was such a huge help when I was feeling so overwhelmed!

So it was my turn to pay it forward this weekend. Sunday Alex and I delivered dinner to Therese and her family. I took a tater tot casserole, mixed veggies, and brownies for dessert.
It was great to see Therese, her boys, and baby Alexandra. I hope they enjoyed their dinner!

Here's the recipe:

Tater Tot Casserole

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 1/2 cups rice (cooked)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (divided)
1 pkg tater tots

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef and drain. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix beef, rice, soup and 1 cup of cheese in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Smooth out, top with remaining cheese. Place tater tots on top of mixture. (You may not need to whole bag.) Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Serve with catsup for dipping.

Recipe Swap Thursday

My friend Therese is hosting a recipe swap today. Check it out to get some great recipes! I'm sharing the following recipe. Alex swore he'd never eat these, and has since requested them on several occassions. The kid won't eat a regular hamburger, but he's all about the turkey burger!

Turkey Burgers
1 - 1 1/4 lbs. ground turkey
1/2 an apple, peeled, cored, shredded
2 tbsp onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Salt
Pepper

Mix turkey with shredded apple, onion and bread crumbs. (You may need more than 1/4 cup of crumbs. I use just enough to make the meat stick together.) Sprinkle salt and pepper over mixture and stir in. Form mixture into patties. Fry or grill till done. Serve on buns. Makes 4- 6 burgers, depending on how big you like 'em! Top with your favorite condiments. I prefer to top our with swiss cheese and raspberry or cranberry mustard.

You Made Banana Bread in a What?

Okay... I have a somewhat odd way of making banana bread. Only it's not odd to me, because this is how my mom made it growing up. In fact, I didn't make banana bread the traditional way until I moved out and was living on my own.

I make banana bread in my crockpot. I have this little insert that you can bake in. I only have the one recipe for the banana bread... though I believe somewhere my mom has an entire cookbook dedicated to the cake-baker-insert-thingy. It makes the best, most moist banana bread ever.

I have searched the internet for this insert, and outside of e-bay, I can't find it. But I'm telling you, if you ever find one, snatch it up. Here's the recipe for banana bread. You will thank me!

Crock-pot Banana Bread

1/2 cup butter or margerine
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 small, very ripe bananas (mashed)
3 tablespoons water or milk
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add water and bananas. Thoroughly mix in flour, soda and nuts (if desired). Pour into greased Bread-and-Cake Bake and cover. Bake in covered crock pot on high for 2-3 hours until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
Can also mix in 1/2 cup chocolate chips before baking for Chocolate Chip Banana Bread.

Voila! Banana bread in your crock pot!

chocolate zucchini bread

chocolate chip/chocolate zucchini bread

3 cups flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups zucchini, grated and peeled
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350. grease two loaf pans and set aside.
in large bowl combine first six ingredients, mix well and set aside. in medium bowl combine sugar and eggs. beat until blended.
add oil and vanilla beat until combined. add zucchini and stir.
add to flour mixture. stir until just moistened. stir in nuts and chips. spoon batter evenly into loaf pans.
bake 55-60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. cool in pans 10 minutes. then remove from pans. cool completely on wire racks.
makes 2-4 loaves depending on pan size.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini bread
beat together:
3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla

3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 cups zucchini, peeled and grated
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

mix dry ingredients together. add slowly to beaten mixture. put in greased/floured loaf pans and bake 1 hour 15 minutes at 325 degrees or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. cool in pans 10 minutes. t hen remove from pans. cool completely on wire racks. makes two or three loaves depending on pan size.

Welcome Milwaukee Visitors!

So I can't find the iconic picture of Milwaukee's City Hall with the "Welcome Milwaukee Visitors" sign made famous by "Laverne and Shirley," but welcome visitors to my little corner of the blogosphere.

I am the featured blogger today on the SITS Girls Recipes site! I feel so honored! I feel so unprepared! I need to clean house! I need to add more recipes! I need to fix broken links and messy lists! Tidy the joint up a little bit.

I hope you enjoy my recipes, and the rest of my blog. Now that I've been featured on a recipe blog, I'm taking a vow to post one new recipe a week. I'm not committing to a day yet, just one recipe a week. Enjoy!

Tortellini Carbonara With Ham

2 pkgs frozen cheese tortellini
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked ham
1 1/2 cups half and half
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon black pepper (I use ground peppercorns from a pepper mill) or more to taste

Bring three quarts of water to a boil. Add tortellini and cook according to package directions. Drain well, set aside. Heat oil in deep 12 inch, non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add ham, cook 1-2 minutes to heat through. Add half and half, stir well continue to heat.

In small bowl combine eggs and cheese. Beat well to combine. Slowly stir egg mixture into cream mixture. Continue to stir and cook until mixture begins to thickent (about 2-3 minutes). Remove skillet from heat. Add cooked, drained pasta. Return to medium-low heat, stirring and tossing pasta till coaated. Season with black pepper. Makes six servings.

Mmmm... Birthday Cake

That was my best Homer Simpson impersonation. I love birthday cake. It doesn't have to be fancy. It doesn't have to have filling. Just a box of Duncan Hines or Betty Crocker cake mix. Preferrably fudge marble flavored. And the frosting has to be buttercream. My mom makes the best buttercream frosting. And since it's nearly the end of the first week of July, and the Nablopomo theme is "Food," and I haven't posted about food yet, here's my first food post. Plus a couple of birthday cake photos.

Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter or margerine
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk

Cream butter and shortening with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar one cup at a time, beating well at medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, frosting will appear dry. Add milk and beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Keep icing bowl covered with damp cloth until ready to decorate cake. For best results, keep bowl in refrigerator when not in use.

One of my favorite dinners

Meat Apple Pie


1 lb lean ground pork (can substitute ground chicken or turkey)

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon salt

dash of pepper

pastry for a two crust 9" pie

2 medium apples; peeled, cored, sliced thin

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Brown meat and onion until done and onion is tender.
Drain off liquid and remove from heat. Stir in breadcrumbs, broth, salt and pepper.
Line 9" pie plate with pastry for one crust. Fill with meat mixture.
Combine apples, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Toss to coat. Pour over meat mixture.

Place other pastry on top, seal and flute edges. Cut vents in top for steam to escape.

Bake for 35-40 minutes. 6-8 servings.

R is for Recipe

My friend Lisa had some great suggestions for my dinner time troubles. One thing she suggested was planning menus in advance. Not necessarily down to the type of vegetable, but just organizing a little bit.

To that end, I have started making a list of what I can make with the contents of my fridge/freezer/pantry at any given time. That way the possibilities are at least narrowed down to what I have on hand. As I make certain dishes, they get crossed off the list. When there are only a couple things left on the list (or a few things left in the fridge) I go to the grocery store and start again. It's helping a bit!

Lisa also offered a fabulous recipe I can't wait to try. Here it is:

Unbelievable Chicken Meatloaf

1 lb. ground chicken (or turkey)
1/2 c breadcrumbs (1 toast 2 slices of bread and put in the food chopper)
1 large egg white
1 medium carrot (I use several baby carrots)
1 small onion (I omit)
1/4 c ketchup
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp celery seeds
1tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. combine chicken and bread crumbs in large bowl
3. cut the carrot and onion into chunks and add to blender or food processor
4. add the remaining 7 ingredients to the blender
5. process until carrot is very fine
6. pour blender mixture over meat mixture
7. mix very will with your hands
8. form into a loaf and place in lightly greased 9 x 13 pan (or 8 muffin cups)
9. cover with foil and bake one hour
10. remove foil and bake for 15-30 min., until cooked through

She makes them in muffin cups and they only bake one hour total. Each cup has 2 weight watcher points, or approx. 111 calories and 2.2 g fat.

Easter With Friends

We had a fun weekend. We didn't travel for Easter this year because I had to work early Saturday morning for a few hours. And we were tired after traveling two weekends in a row. Saturday we dyed Easter eggs, an event Alex declared "pretty cool." Then in the evening we read some bunny-themed books, "Guess How Much I Love You" and "Ready for Bed." We also set out the Easter basket.





Sunday morning the three of us headed out for Easter Mass at St. Margaret Mary. It was a very nice service, and Alex was well behaved. (thank goodness!) Afterwards we took pictures in the adorable Easter outfit, and then had an egg hunt in the living room.



















Our friends Hank and Sara and their three kids came over for dinner. They are our imported family. We worked with them in the Quad Cities, then they moved up here a few years after we did. Our friendship has grown over the years. It's great to have them close by, since the nearest family is more than three hours away. We had ham, cheesey potatoes, asparagus, green beans, rolls, tropical jello salad, deviled eggs, and a fabulous dessert called "pineapple lush." It was really great fun. The kids had a great time playing with all the toys in the living room and downstairs in the basement. Alex got so exhausted that about 8:45 he asked to go to bed... and did so without a fight! We had such a great time we're already looking forward to some tailgating at Brewers games. Baseball season's less than two weeks away!