Rita's Mom's Potato Salad

5-lb. bag potatoes:   Boil and peel with butter knife.   Chunk.

Add 6-8 Kosher dill spears, chunked.

Add pickle juice (good bit: 1/2 jar or more) to a regular-size jar mayonnaise.

Add 6-8 hard-boiled eggs, diced.  (opt.)

Add 1 medium onion, chopped fine.

Add garlic salt and celery seed to taste.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 lb. fresh spinach (or romaine/spring mix is fine)
1 pt. strawberries, sliced pretty
1/2 C. chopped walnuts (although I like pecans)
1/3 C. blue cheese

Toss together and add dressing just before serving.  Dressing should be refrigerated at least 1 hour.  (I've used it without doing so.)

Dressing (blend in blender or shaker):
1/4 C. sugar (or less; it is really sweet)
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 C. cider vinegar
1/2 C. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. minced onion (dry) - opt., but I use it

Kefir

You can read about the "whys" of brewing/drinking kefir here.

As for the "hows," it is super easy.  Here it is:

Get some kefir grains from a reliable source.  (I'd be happy to share some with you, if you need them.)

For regular (milk) kefir:
Place grains in milk.  (An amount equal to about the size of a quarter will culture about a quart of milk in 24-48 hours. Adjust your quantities of grains-to-milk to always allow for culturing in about this amount of time.)

Let sit at room temperature, covered lightly with cloth (or paper towel) and a rubber band, until done.  Stir daily with a wooden utensil during the culturing.  (No metal!)

It is done when the liquid is thickened.  Pour through a plastic strainer to remove the grains.  Store in a glass bottle.

To make "kefir d'uva" (a cultured juice drink that tastes sort of like "grape beer"):

Retain some of your spare kefir grains (once they've "grown" enough to need to be divided), to be converted--permanently--to kefir d'uva grains.  (They will turn purple and will not be able to be returned to culturing milk kefir.)

Fill a glass jar with a mixture of one third to one half water, mixed with the other part (one half to two thirds) grape juice. (Get the bottle of 100% purple grape juice, like is sometimes used for communion.)

Allow it to culture/"brew" for 24-48 hours with a tight lid screwed on, shaking daily.  The mixture will become fermented, and it is done when it is very bubbly, still slightly sweet, and not yet disgustingly tart.  You'll figure it out.  Store in a bottle with a tight-fitting lid to hold fermentation.  (I recommend the bottle from Lorina Sparkling Lemonade; just buy one, drink it, soak the label off, and re-use.)

For both kinds of kefir:  You can store grains, when not in use, in the refrigerator in filtered water.  They will "go dormant" if stored in this way, not at room temperature, and will take longer to "brew" once you bring them back out for use in room temperature culturing.

See the other blog post for more information.

Homemade Yogurt

Homemade yogurt is a staple in our home. We consume obscene quantities of it. My kids love it. Homemade yogurt is cheaper and healthier than the store-bought variety. It isn't difficult to make at all, but it - like any other "homemade" venture - is more difficult than picking it up at the store. It will be worth the trouble to you if your family eats it already and you want to cut the cost and the sugar and the preservatives down.

Find a detailed procedure for how to make it here.

Regina's Potatoes Gratin

potatoes
onions
milk/cream/chicken broth
SPG
grated cheese (parmesan, cheddar, etc.)

Slice potatoes.  Layer in pan: put a layer of potatoes (slightly overlapping) topped with a layer of onions, sliced in half-moon rings.  Sprinkle with SPG.  Repeat a second time to fill 9x13 pan.  Pour over top, to fill pan about halfway up the side: light drizzle each of whipping cream and half and half, then chicken broth and milk to fill about halfway up side of pan.  Cover pan with foil and bake for at least an hour in a very hot oven (like 425 or 450 degrees).  Remove from oven and uncover.  If I have them, I like to stir in those last couple of leftover sausages (brats, Italian sausage, andouille sausage, etc.), sliced into quarters and then into little bite-size pieces.  Stir into potato mixture, then top with cheese.  (I use a good bit of shredded parmesan, because the flavor is outstanding, then a sprinkling of cheddar since it melts up so nicely.)  Return to over until cheese is nicely melted and bubbling.  The sauce will seem a bit runny still, but it will thicken up nicely as it sits there before serving, and even some more once you serve it onto your plate.

We like this with lightly steamed broccoli on the side (no seasonings, as the potatoes are very savory and need the fresh, plain taste of the broccoli), and a nice oil-and-vinegar style pre-dressed salad.

Evonne's Super-Easy Canned Tomatoes

Peel,* quarter, and pack fresh tomatoes in hot sterilized jars.  (I just run the jars through the dishwasher.)  

Add salt to each jar. (1/2 tsp salt per pint)

Seal jars – be sure jars are clean on the outside.  (Wipe with a clean rag.)

Put in a cold oven -- one rack only.  Jars should not be touching.

Set at 225 degrees for exactly 1 hour 15 minutes.

Do not open the oven door!  Turn oven off and let stay overnight until oven is completely cold. (I flip the same arm that keeps the door locked during a self-cleaning cycle, as a reminder not to open the door.)

-------

How to easily peel fresh tomatoes, for canning:

*If you're trying to avoid use of the microwave, for health reasons:
 Bring a pan of water to a boil and dip the whole tomato into it until the skin loosens up then remove from the water and just pull the skin off.   

*If you are one who doesn't mind using the microwave and plastic wrap:   
Halve the tomatoes and pack them in a large Pyrex bowl very tightly.  Cover with plastic wrap and microwave until the skins begin to loosen.  Then just dump them in a colander in the sink and let them cool enough to pull the skins off.  This doesn’t heat the kitchen up as much.

Cheri's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

From a letter from my friend Cheri, whose pie recipe my mother-in-law was looking to make while they were away in VT.  It isn't very clear, and I may try to clarify the recipe once I've made it, but for now, I want to save the recipe and delete the email.  So, here's what I know, quoted from her letter:

The recipe below looks great and saves time in relay.  I am not particular about the recipe.  I am particular about a few things.  I like it to have tapioca vs. all flour or cornstarch for thickening.  I did not pay any attention to the crust part of this recipe.  I would never make a rhubarb only pie...it's always strawberry rhubarb for us.  I don't think it would be bad to eat just rhubarb, but I'm not sure it's very common.  So, it's not that I'm opposed, it just never happens.  This recipe adds vanilla which I can't recall doing and an egg wash that isn't necessary.

Yesterday we had strawberry rhubarb shorcake...  Thummmmmmm, as Evie would say, and so easy if you haven't time or desire for a pie.

Details of what I did with this recipe.  I did not use the biscuit recipe, although it looks great.  It uses more sugar, butter, and whipping cream.  I made LLL with the optional 2TB sugar.  (note: This is from the La Leche League cookbook "Whole Foods for the Whole Family," which Cheri and I use a lot.)

On the compote, I prepared the rhubarb ahead as it says, but didn't add the berries until much later, because I didn't have them.  I didn't add the allspice and I used another jam than recommended and it was fine.  I have done that for years...substitute any red/purple jam if one is called for that I don't have.  So, my recipe had raspberry jam in it.  And I like a topping of whipped cream, but Pete wouldn't consider it shortcake without ice cream!

One more note on rhubarb in case anyone is interested.  My family is always clamoring for it at Thanksgiving and it's fairly impossible to find.  I have been reading that it is so easy to just wash, cut into recipe sized pieces, and freeze.  The only way I can find at Thanksgiving, by the way, is frozen, so why not do it myself!  I thought if they had that much around them, they might like to do the same?

Anyway, here's the recipe she doctored in the ways she's noted above:

Compote

• 4 cups 3/4-inch-thick slices fresh rhubarb (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons strawberry preserves
• 1 teaspoon minced orange peel
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 1-pint basket strawberries, hulled, thickly sliced

Biscuits

• 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced orange peel (orange part only)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 9 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
• 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons chilled whipping cream

• 2 cups chilled whipping cream, sweetened, softly whipped
• Mint sprigs

For compote:
Combine first 5 ingredients in heavy large saucepan or Dutch oven. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until rhubarb is tender but some pieces remain intact, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and add allspice. Cool completely. Stir in strawberries. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.

For biscuits:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter and cut in using pastry blender or rub with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons cream and stir until dough comes together.

Turn out dough onto lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, about 6 turns. Flatten dough to 3/4-inch-thick round. Cut out rounds using 2 3/4-inch-diameter plain or scalloped cookie cutter. Gather dough scraps and shape into 3/4-inch-thick round. Cut out additional dough rounds.

Transfer rounds to heavy large ungreased baking sheet. Bake until biscuits are puffed and golden, about 23 minutes. Transfer biscuits to rack and cool slightly. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Rewarm biscuits in 350°F. oven just until heated through, about 5 minutes.)

Cut biscuits in half. Place 1 bottom half on each plate. Spoon 1/4 cup compote over each. Top with large spoonful sweetened compote, then more whipped cream. Cover with biscuits tops. Garnish with mint sprigs and serve.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Strawberry-Rhubarb-Shortcakes-1773#ixzz0yVEjJjGe

Regina's Baked Feta

We were blessed to know a dear family from Germany for two years while they lived here in the United States. Literally everything that Regina (pronounced Ray-gee-nah, with a hard "g" as in "go") cooked was delicious.  Feta cheese, when baked, becomes mild and slightly salty.  If you don't care for feta normally (cold and unbaked), give this a try anyway.  Everyone I've ever served it to loves it.

1 large block of uncrumbled feta cheese
        (This is available relatively cheap at Costco.  If you buy theirs, cut it in half both length- and width-wise. 
          You want it ½ inch thick or less. )

Lay the blocks of feta into a greased glass baking dish.  Top with:

fresh basil leaves
sliced onions (half-moon shaped)
sliced tomatoes

Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with SPG.  Bake until heated through and soft, about 20 minutes or so.  This is delicious served with baked rice, grilled sausages or London Broil, and a side of grilled veggies and/or salad.

"Pregnancy Stew"

This is the food that the midwife who attended us at home prepared for me after each of my births.  She made me eat this--and only this--for each meal until I had successfully had a bowel movement.

It is a little different and "strange," if you will, but all of my family loved it at the time, and fixing it now carries me instantly back to that deliriously fun, exhausted time of getting to know the new baby.

I don't make it often (the kids don't like it much anymore), but new moms ask me about it all the time (like now), so here's the recipe.

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, place 1½ inches or so of water in the bottom of the pan.

Layer hard veggies first (sweet potatoes, carrots, onion, broccoli stalks, etc.) then leafy things on top (kale, spinach, broccoli crowns, etc.)

Top with one whole bulb of sliced fresh garlic (yes, a whole bulb, not one clove) and grated fresh ginger.

Bring to a boil.  Cover and cook seven minutes exactly.  Turn off and let sit without opening for a couple of minutes before serving.

Spoon over brown rice.  Add 1 pat of real butter (not margarine) and tamari (not soy) sauce to each serving.

Nanny's Blackberry Pie

Pastry for 2 crust 9 inch pie
4 C. berries
1 C. sugar
4 T. flour
1 T. butter

Line 9 inch pie plate with pastry; fill with berries. Mix sugar, cornstarch, and dash salt, sprinkle over. Dot with butter. Add top crust. Bake at 400 hundred degrees 40-50 minutes.

Aunt Kim's Oatmeal Yogurt Muffins

2 C. flour (I use freshly milled whole wheat.)
2 C. rolled oats
1 C. brown sugar (or less)
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 C. vanilla yogurt (or plain)
2 eggs
4 Tbsp. oil (I use olive oil.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Stir together dry ingredients (first six).  Whisk together wet ingredients (last three).  Stir combined wet ingredients into combined dry ingredients, stirring until just combined.  [Don't over-mix!]  Bake 22 minutes; makes 18.

Whole-Wheat Scones

Makes 16
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) cold butter (can use less)
2 cups whole-wheat flour (can use all whole-wheat)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. sugar (1/4 cup scant)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda (1 scant Tbsp.)
2 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup raisins (opt.)

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease and flour a large baking sheet.

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the butter and cut in with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles course crumbs. Set aside.

In another bowl whisk together the eggs and buttermilk. Set aside 2 Tbsp. for glazing.

Stir the remaining egg mixture into the dry ingredients until it just holds together. Stir in the raisins.

Roll out the dough about 3/4 inch thick. Stamp out circles with a cookie cutter. Place on the prepared sheet and brish with the glaze.

Bake until golden 14 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Split in two with a fork while still warm and spread with butter and jam if wished. =)

Aunt Kim's Bran Muffins

1/2 C. shortening (I use butter, and it works fine.)
1 C. boiling water
1 1/2 C. sugar
Combine above ingredients and cool 1 hour.

Add remaining ingredients:
2 eggs
1 C. bran flakes (cereal)
2 C. All-Bran cereal
2 C. buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/2 C. flour (I use freshly milled whole wheat.)
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda

This mixture can sit up to six weeks in the fridge as a batter.  Bake muffins 15-20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Butter Cream Frosting

1/2 - 2/3 stick softened butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 box confectionery sugar
Cream together above ingredients and then slowly add small amounts of milk to consistency desired. Frost cake when it is completely cooled.

Jenny's Mom's Banana Cake (Can be vegan, GF)

I got this recipe years ago from the mother (Joan Phillips) of a former colleague of mine (Jenny Good). I went to stay at her house and she served this delicious banana cake. Though I've never seen the mother since—and have lost touch with the daughter years ago—this is still "Jenny's Mom's Banana Cake." I've never found a better recipe for banana cake! 

Even now that I am on a special diet, this is still the best banana cake recipe around! Here is the recipe in its vegan, gluten-free form. The original (non-vegan) version appears directly below it.

Best Vegan, Gluten-Free Banana Cake

2 1/4 C. cup-for-cup gluten-free flour
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 lb. (1 stick) vegan butter, softened (I use Miyoko's)
1 1/2 C. sugar (coconut or regular can sugar)
2 flax eggs (mix 2 Tbsp. ground flax seeds with 6 Tbsp. water)
2-3 mashed bananas (she used only fresh, but use over-ripe ones if I need to)
1/2 C. dairy-free yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla

1) Sift together first four ingredients and set aside.

2) Cream together vegan butter and sugar.

3) Add the flax eggs.

4) In a separate bowl, cream together bananas, DF yogurt, and vanilla.

5) Finally, add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with banana mixture.

6) Bake in 2 9" square greased-and-floured pans at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (Unless I'm going for a serious special presentation, I use a 9 x 13 pan and make excess batter--there's not much--into muffins.)

7) Frost when completely cooled with butter cream frosting using Miyoko's vegan butter.

Here's the original (non-vegan) version:

2 1/4 C. flour (I use half whole wheat if it is freshly ground)
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/2 C. sugar
2 eggs
2-3 mashed bananas (she used only fresh, but I'll use over-ripe ones if I need to)
1/2 C. sour cream (be generous)
1 tsp. vanilla

Sift together first four ingredients and set aside.
Cream together butter and sugar.
Add eggs, beating after each addition.
In a separate bowl, cream together bananas, sour cream, and vanilla.
Finally, add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with banana mixture.
Bake in 2 9" square greased-and-floured pans at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. (Unless I'm going for a serious special presentation, I use a 9 x 13 pan and make excess batter--there's not much--into muffins.)

Frost when completely cooled with butter cream frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. butter
1 box confectionery sugar (or less, to taste)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 C. chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream together softened cream cheese/butter. Add other ingredients. If using optional nuts, sprinkle on top.

Iivo's Yummy Carrot Cake

2 C. flour (I use all whole wheat if it it freshly ground)
2 C. sugar (I use less - about 1 1/2 C.)
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. oil (I use light olive oil)
4 eggs
3 C. grated carrots

Sift dry ingredients. Add oil then eggs. Blend in carrots. Bake in 3 9-in. round cake pans if you want to make a spectacular layer cake. Otherwise, I use a 9 x 13 pan. (If it feels like too much batter, I make a couple of muffins with the excess.) Bake 30 min. at 350 degrees. Frost while still slightly warm with cream cheese frosting. If using optional nuts, sprinkle on top after frosting.

"Strange-Boiled" Eggs

We discovered these quite by accident one day--see story here--but since they are a major hit with most kids who try them (including many who won't eat eggs any other way), I share them here.

You must follow the times listed exactly. [Trust me on this!]

Place eggs in a saucepan of enough cold water to cover them entirely.

Add 1 tsp. baking soda if you want them to be easy to peel in the end.

Bring to a rolling boil. Watch for it! (Not just the little bubbles of "I'm thinking about boiling soon," or the small blups of "I'm just starting to boil now," but the first good boil of, "Okay, now that's boiling." No sooner. No later.)

Boil exactly four minutes.

Remove from heat. Cover pot immediately with lid and let sit--covered--for exactly 30 sec.

Drain and place immediately in cool water.

Peel and enjoy!

*The yolk will be semi-solid but very soft, and the white will be solid, but not as hard as a hard-boiled egg.

A word of warning: these are delicious fresh and hot, but they are absolutely disgusting as leftovers in the fridge. If you need to make them ahead to eat on a hurried morning, stick with hard-boiled!

Chicken Pot Pie

1 pkg. pie crusts (2 crusts)
2 C. cooked cubed chicken

Boil together until tender (10 mins.):

1/4 C. carrots
1/2 C. green peas
1 tsp. salt
1/2 C. cubed potatoes
1 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/8 tsp. pepper

Sauce:

4 Tbsp. butter
5 Tbsp. flour
1 1/2 C. chicken broth
2 Tbsp. chicken bouillon
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 C. milk

Make white sauce. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute. Mix filling and sauce, reserving some for serving on the side. Pour into crust. Cover with top crust and slit. Bake at 425 degrees for 35 minutes. Cover for last ten minutes or so.

Chicken Marsala

Dredge scallopini through parmesan cheese.

Put in skillet with 2 Tbsp. butter and 5+ cloves garlic, sliced.

Saute chicken at 300 degrees (medium heat) until done.

Remove chicken to oven safe dish and put in warm oven.

Using same skillet with drippings, add:
2 more Tbsp. butter
1 1/3 C. marsala wine
fresh mushrooms (sliced)

Cook approximately 5 minutes until mushrooms are tender.

Mix 1 1/3 C. beef broth with 2 Tbsp. cornstarch. Add to skillet.

Cook until sauce is thick and bubbly.

Pour sauce over chicken and return to oven for at least 5 minutes for flavor to seep into chicken.

Serve over angel hair pasta.

Nuts & Bolts

1 stick butter
1 1/4 tsp. garlic salt
4 1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 C. each Corn, Wheat, and Rice Chex cereal
1 large can mixed nuts
2 C. pretzels, mini melba rounds, or more Chex

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Heat butter until melted in roasting pan.

Remove and stir in sauce and salt.

Add remaining ingredients.

Cook 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Spread on paper towels until cool.

Pico de Gallo

1-2 bunches green onion (6)
2 yellow peppers, chopped
4-6 tomatoes, chopped
4 fresh jalapenos, 2 w/seeds
6 oz. jar pickled jalapenos
3 15 oz. cans flavored tomato sauce (Italian herb)
4 cloves garlic, minced
15-20 stems cilantro (1/2 C.)
1 15 oz. can Bush's black beans, drained

Combine and refrigerate overnight. Serve with tortilla chips.

MuMama's Banana Pudding

My grandmother, known to us as MuMama, always made this banana pudding during our yearly Beach Week family trip to the NC shore.  We were a crowd of 15, so she did a double recipe.

1 egg
1 large box cook-and-serve vanilla pudding
3 C. milk, scalded
2 blobs butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3 bananas
1 box Nilla wafers

1. Line bottom and sides of pan with Nilla wafers and sliced bananas.

2. Scald milk.

3. Mix egg and small amount of milk (not scalded) in measuring cup used for scalded milk.

4. Put pudding mix in with milk/egg mixture and combine.

5. Pour into scalded milk and combine.

6. Drop in butter. Bring to a full, popping boil that can't be stirred down.

7. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

8. Pour mixture over wafers and bananas.

9. Cool to room temperature before serving.

NOTE: All the pictures of banana pudding you'll find online or in recipe books are garnished with whipped cream or meringue or banana slices or Nilla wafers. Not MuMama's. The Nilla wafers got soft in the bottom of the dish (her old Corningware deep square), there was only one layer, and there was nothing but pudding showing on top. I've tried making other kinds, and my family goes into all-out revolt.

In fact, one February, my daughter OG asked for banana pudding for her birthday treat. Trying to make it special, I opted for an online recipe with whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk in it, and a fancy garnish on top. Two weeks later, in March my son asked for banana pudding for his birthday treat, too. The caveat? "This time I want MuMama's banana pudding. The real kind," he insisted. No other banana pudding will do for us!

Boursin

This is a lovely cream cheese spread that is absolutely delicious on crackers.

2 sticks butter, softened
2 8 oz. cream cheese, softened

Combine the above with:

1-2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/4 tsp. marjoram
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. basil
1/4 tsp. dill

If serving at a gathering, shape into balls (makes 2) and roll in fresh cracked pepper. If not, we store it in a covered bowl in the fridge.

Overnight French Toast

French bread (I’ve used all kinds of bread, including gluten-free)
8-12 eggs, depending on quantity of bread
3 C. milk
6 T. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
6 T. butter
cinnamon

1) Grease a 9x13 pan. Cover the bottom (and mostly fill) with torn up bread.

2)  Mix together eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Pour over bread.

3)  Chill 4-36 hours. (I usually do it overnight.)

4) Dot little pats of the butter, and sprinkle cinnamon (or cinnamon sugar for a fun treat!) all over the top before baking.

5) Do not preheat oven. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees until it is set up and the top has desired level of crispness, usually 45 min-1 hour.

6) Serve with maple syrup or butter and powdered sugar.

Cheri's Italian Meatloaf

1 lb. hamburger
1/2 lb. pork sausage
2 eggs
1 15 oz. can tomato (stewed, sauce, etc.)
garlic
dried minced onion
salt
pepper
Italian seasoned bread crumbs or crumbled crackers
oatmeal

Mix meats, eggs, tomato, and spices. Add just enough bread crumbs and oatmeal to keep it from being too soupy to shape. (Maybe 1/4-1/2 C. of each?) Shape into one huge—or two small—loaves. Top with a little bit of the Classico-style marina you will serve on the pasta before baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. (I use a cookie sheet or pampered chef bar pan or something without super tall sides. If it's sitting down in a 9x13 pan, it will cook, but it will be a little mushier.)

Serve with pasta and marinara and a side salad.

P.S. When I make this, I make six! I use 6 pounds of hamburger and 3 pounds of sausage and a dozen eggs and a couple of huge cans of crushed tomatoes and what feels like a lot of oatmeal and bread crumbs. It freezes beautifully, uncooked, and the leftovers are really delicious. It also makes delicious meatloaf sandwiches with bread, mayonnaise, lettuce, and salt and pepper. Yum!

Beach Week

Pasta Salad

My friend Cheri called this morning asking for this recipe. I told her that there isn't really a recipe, and she said, "Well, there is now." So, here it is, the thrown-together stuff we eat as pasta salad around here:

1 lb. cooked pasta (any severely-shaped variety - campanelle is my favorite)
1 pkg. Good Seasons Italian dressing mix, made with cider vinegar and olive oil

Pour dressing over pasta. Add liberal sprinklings of:

Organic No-Salt Seasoning (Kirkland brand from Costco)
rice vinegar (it needs more vinegar kick than the dressing alone provides, but a mild one)
Alnatura Krauter Salz (German seasoning from my friend Regina. If anyone finds a source here in the US, let me know! It is also delicious in homemade salad dressings.)

Stir in:
chopped colored peppers (red, orange, yellow)
chopped cucumber
chopped broccoli
chopped carrots
1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans)
1 can kidney beans
finely chopped salad greens

Optional:
chopped green onion
chunked cheese (cheddar and pepper jack are especially good)
chunked chicken

Jan Sherbon's Healthy Granola

This is the original (small batch) recipe. See below if making a large batch.

SMALL BATCH

Dry ingredients:

4 C, oats

1 C. wheat germ

1 C. nuts (opt)

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

Combine above dry ingredients. Add combined wet ingredients (see below) and any sort of dried fruits desired, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes to prevent burning.

1/2 C. honey

1/3 C. oil

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1-2 Tbsp. molasses

LARGE BATCH

Below is the way I make it for my family. It makes a huge amount, but it keeps nicely and goes quickly if you have a large family eating it rather frequently.

Dry ingredients:
1 large bag oats (Costco size - comes two in a box)
1 jar wheat germ (20 oz.)
1 bag coconut (14 oz.)
1 Tbsp. salt
1 lb. pecans, apprx. 2-3 C. (1/2 Costco-sized bag)
2 T. cinnamon
1-2 C. sliced almonds

Combine above dry ingredients. Add combined wet ingredients (see below) and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes to prevent burning.

Wet ingredients:
2 C. light olive oil
1 C. honey
1/2 C. molasses
2 Tbsp. vanilla

"Southern Living" Pound Cake

There are two varieties to this recipe, both published at one time or another in "Southern Living" magazine. They're both good, but don't over-bake them or they'll be dry!

I made the first one for Evie's surprise party. Enjoy!

"Southern Living" Pound Cake, Variety #1

1 lb. softened butter (4 sticks)
3 C. sugar
4 C. flour
3/4 C. milk
6 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat on low speed 1 min. Scrape sides. Beat on medium 2 min. Batter will be thick.
Bake at 325 for 1 1/2 hours. (I bake it at 300 instead.)
Cool on rack 10 min. then remove to cool completely.

We love this recipe topped with chopped, sweetened strawberries (add just enough sugar to force a juice from them) and fresh whipped cream.


Southern Living Pound Cake, Variety #2

1 1/2 C. butter (3 sticks), softened
1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 C. sugar
6 eggs
3 C. flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla

Beat butter and cream cheese together on medium until creamy. Gradually add sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Add mixture of dry ingredients gradually, and stir until well-blended. Stir in vanilla. Batter will be thick. Bake at 300 for 1 hour 40 mins.