Christmas Notebook

easy, quick spaghetti sauce

February 21, 2013 – 1:31 pm

This is a basic bare-bones tomato sauce that can be used for pasta, pizza, or added to soup if you have leftovers. I put this recipe together when my children were much younger. When the house was full of littles, I needed a fast and easy sauce recipe. I’ve used it for years and continue to use it now that the kidlets are grown. I could never see paying a lot for something I could make so cheaply at home!

The fastest way to make it is to use dried herbs and spices. It’s just a matter of putting everything into one large pan, then heating to serve. If you add celery, mushrooms, fresh onion or fresh garlic, you can sauté those ingredients in a few tablespoons of olive oil in the sauce pan and add everything else on top when the veggies are sautéed.

Spaghetti Sauce

1 29-oz. can crushed or diced tomatoes
1 29-oz. can tomato sauce
1/4 c. dry basil
3 T. dry oregano
2 T. dry parsley or a handful of freshly chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. garlic powder or 3-4 finely diced garlic cloves
2 T. dry onion or 1/2 c. freshly chopped onion
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper to taste
3 T. olive oil
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 T. sugar (optional…depends on whether or not your family likes a bit of sweetness in the sauce)

Put all ingredients into a deep pan, stirring until well blended. Cover with a lid (very important as it will splatter hot sauce all over the kitchen) and heat to a boil. Reduce to a simmer until heated through. Serve over pasta or use as a pizza sauce. Leftovers can also be added to soup.

This past summer, I canned a few eight-ounce jars of tomato paste, so I add one of those if we’re having company.

Try the sauce on pizza using my pizza dough recipe at this link.

This sauce is so easy to make. If you are a beginner cook, this is the recipe for you. As you gain confidence cooking, you can begin to add or subtract ingredients. Add cooked ground beef or cooked crumbled sausage to the sauce. Use fresh veggies instead of dried. Add more Parmesan. Or fresh rosemary, finely chopped. The recipe is quite flexible. Make it your own.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Recipes | Comments (3)

menu plan monday ~ february 18, 2013

February 18, 2013 – 5:54 pm

Last week I made granola. It did not turn out very well. We fed it to the birds. They were happy to have it. I was happy to see it gone. This week I am going to try Alton Brown’s granola recipe. Looking at the list of ingredients, I see I will be changing it a bit. Walnuts instead of cashews and no coconut. If there’s something you don’t want DH to eat, just tell him there’s coconut in it. Also, we make our own brown sugar by adding molasses to white sugar, so I’ll be making that switch, as well. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

Yesterday, we went to my Dad’s for a family dinner. Three kinds of soup. My niece made her delicious homemade chicken soup, with chickens they raised themselves and the wonderful chicken stock those chicken bones make. My sister-in-law brought a Vegan chili that was wonderful. I made the hamburger and potato soup with the French onion dip in it that Mom used to make. Dad said it tasted like Mom’s, and there were no leftovers, so I think it was a hit. The only picture I took was on the way to Dad’s. We had to wait on a very long coal train. But that’s life in this part of the world.

This week’s menu went together pretty fast, unlike some weeks when I hem and haw all day long, trying to decide what to make. It doesn’t help to ask family members. They tend to say, “Oh, I don’t know…” Or “I don’t care.” Not helpful, don’t you know?

Tonight’s pizza is ready to pop in the oven. Just waiting on DH to head home. Thanks to my eldest daughter for making the pizza dough this afternoon. 🙂

Monday
Homemade Pizza

Tuesday
Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas
Home Baked Tortilla Chips
Avocado Sour Cream

Wednesday
Cheese Tortellini and Spinach Bake
Rosemary Bread
Garden Salad

Thursday
Veggie Chili
Cornbread

Friday
Baked Snapper
Baby Baked Potatoes
Steamed Green Beans
Spinach Salad

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday
Spaghetti
Homemade Sauce
Corn
Steamed Sugar Snap Peas
Homemade Rolls
Garden Salad

You will find more menus and ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (1)

menu plan monday ~ february 11, 2013

February 11, 2013 – 5:06 pm

The crocus popped up last week. Such a welcome sign of spring!

This week I’m trying a new recipe for granola. Anyone have a favorite recipe you would like to share? What do you like to add to granola? I’ll let you know how this one comes out. Here’s our menu for this week.

Monday
Stir Fried Veggies
Rice

Tuesday
Super Crisp Oven Baked Cod
Asparagus and Feta Fritters
Cucumber Salad

Wednesday
Oven Baked BBQ Chicken
Oven Fried Potato Wedges
Garden Salad

Thursday ~ Happy Valentine’s Day!
Braised Pork Chops
Creamy Mushroom Bake
Steamed Green Beans
Garden Salad
Baked Apples for dessert

Friday
Bean and Barley Soup
Cornbread Muffins

Saturday
Fridge Food

Sunday
That Potato and Hamburger Soup with the French Onion Dip in it that Mom Used to Make
Rosemary Bread

You will find more menus and ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (2)

menu plan monday ~ february 4, 2013

February 4, 2013 – 9:55 pm

The twins were thrilled with the aprons I made for them. Now they are ready to help Pa make pancakes.

Someone has a birthday this week.

Monday / Birthday Dinner for our youngest daughter
Veggie Lasagna
Soft Garlic Bread Sticks
Steamed Sugar Snap Peas
Corn
Sliced Cucumbers

Chocolate Cake
Ice Cream

Tuesday
Baked Salmon
Rice with Almonds
Steamed Green Beans
Garden Salad

Wednesday
Homemade Pizza

Thursday
Fridge Food

Friday
Chicken and Dumpling Soup

Saturday
Tacos

Sunday
Ravioli Lasagna Bake
Green Salad
Toasted Garlic Bread with Mozzarella
Carrots and Peas

You will find more menus and ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (0)

barbeque shrimp

February 2, 2013 – 6:17 pm

Our middle daughter was in “the big city” today and brought home two pounds of nice, large, fresh shrimp. I found this recipe for Barbecue Shrimp and gave it a try. DEEE-li-cious! And very easy and quick to make. Of course, I tweaked the recipe a bit. Following are the ingredients as I used them.

Barbecue Shrimp

2 pounds fresh, unpeeled shrimp
1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt
1 T. minced fresh garlic (about five cloves)
2 tablespoon of water
1 lemon, seeded (or 2 T. bottled lemon juice)

Put all the ingredients, except the shrimp, in a large skillet and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the shrimp and simmer till cooked through, turning the shrimp after a few minutes. It takes only a few minutes on each side to complete the cooking. Serve with the juice from the pan and some crusty bread.

It’s not the thick, saucy BBQ type of dish that we think of in my home state, but a delicious herbal, spicy shrimp I’ve had in New Orleans. Simple to make. I used a lot less cayenne pepper than the original recipe called for and didn’t add any butter. You can adjust those ingredients as you like.

The rosemary bread was perfect for sopping up the yummy juice. If you like shrimp, you should love this!

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Recipes | Comments (0)

trying new recipes for fish and rice

January 31, 2013 – 9:44 pm

I like trying new recipes and had several on the menu this week. They’ve all been good.

This evening we had Super-Crisp Oven Baked Fish and Parmesan Rice Pilaf. I had planned to try a different recipe for the fish, but when I took a look at it, it required frying the fish, then finishing it by baking it in the oven. I wanted a recipe that just baked the fish, so I looked for a different one. This one was very good and did have a nice crispy crust.

I made my own bread crumbs for the recipe. Easy to do with a food processor and so much cheaper than buying them from the store. Just process as many slices as you want in a food processor. Add a dribble of olive oil while processing. You can also add spices, salt/pepper, herbs, etc. Up to you. Spread the crumbs on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven at 350 for 10-15 minutes. Stir a few times while toasting. Done when crisp.

For this recipe, I used fresh snapper and fresh tilapia that our middle daughter brought home from the “big city.” There isn’t much option in our small town for getting any kind of fresh fish. Unless you’re a fisherman with access to someone’s pond.

Next time I make the baked fish, I will add a tablespoon of Dijon mustard to the egg mixture. And maybe some freshly granted lemon rind. Also, I didn’t have yogurt, so I substituted light mayo in the egg mixture.

The rice was also good. Our youngest daughter (loves rice) gave it a thumbs up. Here’s the way I tweaked the rice recipe.

Parmesan Rice

2 tablespoons butter
2 cups rice
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
4 cups chicken broth
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 T. fresh, diced parsley (which I forgot to add)
4 T. sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the rice, the salt, and the garlic powder. Cook, stirring now and then, for three minutes. Add the chicken broth and the pepper.

Bring to a rolling boil. Cover and reduce heat to lowest setting. Cook for 20 minutes.

Add toasted almonds, parsley and Parmesan. Stir well and serve.

It would be good with peas and diced carrots in it.

The salad was good. Romaine, spinach, arugula and diced cucumber with freshly grated black pepper. Steamed asparagus rounded out the meal. We’ll be having this again.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in Recipes | Comments (2)

menu plan monday ~ january 28, 2013

January 26, 2013 – 3:29 pm

Yesterday DH made rye bread for the first time. It’s delicious! Really wonderful bread. It took a longer time to rise than our usual bread recipe, but it was worth the wait.

Monday
Mushroom Stroganoff
Garden Salad

Tuesday
Crispy Oven-Fried Cod Fish
Steamed Asparagus
Corn
Fruit Salad

Wednesday
Broccoli Cheese Soup

Thursday
Toasted Ham and Swiss Sandwiches on Rye Bread
Red Grapes
“Use a Spoon” Chopped Salad

Friday
Bean and Barley Soup
Rosemary Bread

Saturday
Taco Salad

Sunday
Veggie Lasagna
Grilled Garlic Bread
Steamed Green Beans
Corn
Green Salad

You will find more menus and ideas at Menu Plan Monday.

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (0)

baking rosemary bread

January 23, 2013 – 12:42 pm

Yesterday the day was chilly and grey. I spent the afternoon in the kitchen, making turkey soup and Rosemary Bread. Seemed a good way to spend a chilly afternoon. The bread is an old favorite, but the soup was a new recipe for me. Very good and we’ll be making it again.

Rosemary bread is a delicious favorite that I’ve made many times and that my family always enjoys. I am prone to changing recipes quite a bit, but the only ingredients I’ve changed on this one is to use basil and oregano separately rather than using “Italian Seasoning” and I use fresh rosemary rather than dried. The bread is perfect and very easy to make.

This recipe is for one loaf, but is easily doubled for two.

1 cup warm water [I use hot water from the faucet.]
1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups bread flour

The bread can be mixed in a bowl by hand and kneaded by hand. I used my mixer.

Put the warm water in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add the yeast and stir until it is dissolved. Add the other ingredients and stir on slow until the flour is incorporated. Knead the bread with the mixer for six minutes.

You can leave the dough in the mixing bowl, dribble a couple of teaspoons of oil around the sides, then use a dough scraper to turn the dough until it is covered with oil. Cover with a clean towel and leave in a warm place to rise.

When doubled in size, remove from the mixing bowl, form into a round or loaf shape and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Allow to rise until doubled. As you can see here, I doubled the recipe and made two free form loaves.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until browned, about 25-30 minutes. My family cannot resist cutting into bread as soon as it comes from the oven. That results in a squashed slice, but it is OH, SO good right out of the oven, so I forgive them and have a slice myself.

If you have an instant read thermometer (which is a way handy thing to have, I must say!), you can insert it into the loaf to determine whether or not it is finished baking. Bread is done when the center reaches a temperature of about 190 degrees. Breads enriched with eggs, milk, and/or butter are done at about 200 degrees.

It’s hard to keep my family from cutting right into this loaf as soon as it comes from the oven, but it’s better to let it rest for ten minutes or so before slicing.

Hot soup and warm crusty bread…nothing better on a chilly day!

I hope you’ll give it a try. Very easy to make! Your family will be glad you did!

~~Rhonda

By ~~Rhonda | Posted in menu | Comments (1)

menu plan monday ~ january 21, 2013

January 22, 2013 – 2:17 pm

I had a good time this past weekend at my Dad’s house, for a Sisters’ Weekend gathering. I, my four sisters and two sisters-in-law try to get together for a weekend once a year. For Christmas, everyone pitched in to give my Dad a Civil War wallpaper border for his collection room, with the promise that we’d put it up for him in January.