Last night’s supper was quick and easy. The rice took the longest to cook at 20 minutes.

Check this link for the recipe for Pan Seared Shrimp I started with, from Gina’s site. She has a lot of recipes worth perusing.

I stir-fried our shrimp and used the following ingredients.

14 oz. bag frozen medium size shrimp, thawed and thoroughly dried
2 tsp. olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
sprinkle of red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. parsley flakes

Gina’s recipe called for more shrimp and a 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper. That was too much red pepper for my family, so I cut it way back. If you like heat and are used to using lots of red pepper, you’ll probably want to follow Gina’s recipe more closely than I did.

Stir frying is quick and easy. I started the rice, waited about ten minutes, then cooked the pea pods first as they take a bit more time than the shrimp. I used the same wok, without cleaning, for the shrimp after the veggies were done.

Heat the oil in a wok (or large skillet), add the shrimp and stir and toss until they begin to look done. Just takes a few minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for a minute longer. That’s all it takes. The shrimp had the tiniest bite of heat. DD and I loved them. DH gave them a “passing grade” which means he is happy to see them on the menu again.

The pea pods are easy to make and delicious.

Add a teaspoon of olive oil to the wok. Add the pea pods and stir and toss until they begin to turn bright green with fried bits down the sides. Add salt and pepper to taste. When the pea pods are almost done, add halved cherry tomatoes and cook for one more minute. Serve. Sometimes I add some tamari at the same time I add the tomatoes for a richer flavor. If you don’t have tamari, you can use regular or low-salt soy sauce, though the veggies are delicious with just a touch of salt and pepper.

~~Rhonda

I must say, I altered the recipe a bit.

The dough recipe was as follows:

1 pkg. (1 scant T.) yeast
1 c. very warm water
1/4 c. sugar [I used 2 T. sugar...I didn't want the pizza crust to be too sweet.]
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
2 T. butter [I used 2 T. olive oil instead of butter]
3 c. flour [I added 2 T. ground flax and 2 T. wheat germ.]

I didn’t do anything like this filling…

1/2 lb. ground beef
2 oz. pepperoni, sliced in quarters
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 chopped green bell pepper
1/2 can mushrooms, chopped
8 oz. tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

Instead, I spread some crushed tomatoes down the middle of the bread. I sprinkled the tomatoes with dried basil, dried oregano, and garlic powder, then spread 2 cups of mozzarella over the tomatoes before braiding the bread. You could use just about any kind of filling in this. Next time, I want to make the filling with hamburger, taco seasoning, and cheddar cheese.

You can visit this site for pictures to guide you through braiding the bread. The site has lovely and helpful pictures. And it’s very easy to do. It makes a great meal and one your kids would love to help you with.

~~Rhonda

Holiday Icebox Oatmeal Cookies
(one of my personal favorites…not real fancy, but crispy delicious)
Makes 6-8 dozen

2 c. margarine or butter, softened
2 c. confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. uncooked, quick-cooking oatmeal (I measure, then grind the oats in the blender)
red and/or green sugar crystals

In large mixing bowl, cream margarine and conf. sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.

Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture. Stir well.

Stir in oatmeal.

Chill dough until firm enough to form into rolls. Shape into four rolls and roll in red or green sugar crystals. Cover with foil or plastic wrap. Chill until firm. (Or freeze at this point until needed.)

Slice into 1/4″ slices and place on ungreased or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated 325 oven about 15-20 minutes or until set and lightly browned.

From Country Folk Art’s Quick ‘n Easy Home Cooking, p. 15, December 1995

Here’s the finished product…so far…ready for the fridge. After they have time to harden, I’ll take them out, cut them, and bake them.

These cookies are easy to make and yummy good. I usually use one cup margarine and one cup butter when making them for Christmas.

~~Rhonda