Christian Saying Hello

Ben and Christian Play Together at Grandpa's Birthday Party

These two cousins were born just one day apart.  Both are about 8 1/2 months old, and played together for the first time at Grandpa's birthday party on Saturday.  How cute are they?

Isaac and Grandma Karan

Jesica, Grandpa, and Beethovan

Easy Tortellini Toss

We made this recipe at Katy's Come Cook With Me just as it's printed below.  It was good.  I made it at home for dinner recently and replaced the ham with chicken breasts and like it even better.

3 Tbsp butter (melted)
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 garlic clove (pressed)
1 cup 2% milk
2 1/2 oz Parmesan cheese (grated - about 2/3 cup)
1- 8 oz slice deli ham (1/2" thick)
1/2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 bag (16 oz) frozen cheese-filled tortellini
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 bag (6 oz) fresh baby spinach leaves

Combine butter and flour in saucepan over medium heat; whisk until smooth.  Add pressed garlic and milk to butter mixture; whisk well.  Mixture should thicken as it heats.  Add the cheese; whisk until smooth.  Dice ham and add  black pepper to saucepan.  Mix well and set aside.

Combine tortellini and chicken broth in a microwave safe casserole dish.   Microwave, covered, on high 12 - 15 minutes or until tortellini are tender, stirring every 4 - 5 minutes.  Add cheese sauce to baker, mix well.  Microwave, covered, on high 2 - 3 minutes or until heated through.  Stir in spinach; cover and let stand 2 - 3 minutes or until spinach is wilted.

This is very good, but when I replaced the ham with 1 lb of grilled chicken breasts marinated in 2 Tbsp of olive oil and 1 tsp of Italian Seasoning, it was even better.  I also replaced the milk with Half & Half for a creamier texture.

Mmmmm Good!

Berry-Pine Nut Chicken Salad

This salad was a hit at a recent "Come Cook With Me" .  One of our guests even tried it at home and sent me an e-mail to let me know it turned out well for her at home.  Thanks for the feedback Gwen!  Try this for your family too. . .

Dressing
3 Tbsp red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp seedless raspberry jam
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/4 cup olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp coarsely ground pepper

Salad
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 bag ( 5 - 6 oz) Boston lettuce salad blend
1 cup blueberries
1 lb cooked chicken breasts
1/4 red onion (sliced thin)
8 oz sugar snap peas

For dressing, combine vinegar, jam and mustard and mix well.  Add oil, salt and black pepper.  Mix again and set aside.

For chicken, marinate your chicken breasts in 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 tsp  Lemon Pepper seasoning.  Place chicken breasts on hot grill pan and cook for five minutes with grill press on top.  Turn breasts and cook for five more minutes with grill press on top.  Turn again and turn heat off.  Leave on burner with grill press on top for five more minutes.  Chicken will be perfect.

For salad, place pine nuts into 8" saute pan; toast over medium heat 4 - 6 minutes or until fragrant and golden brown.  Remove pine nuts from pan; cool completely.

Wash lettuce and berries.  Thinly slice red onion.  Slice sugar snap peas in half.

To serve, layer lettuce, chicken, peas, blueberries and onion in a large serving bowl.  Pour dressing over salad just before serving.  Toss gently to coat.  Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.

Chicken Fried Bacon - Have you ever heard of such a thing?

I seriously don't know anyone who doesn't love bacon.  This is a must try recipe.  I have not tried it yet, but do plan to try it Saturday.

6 cups flour                        2 Tbsp baking powder           

1 tsp salt                            1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper           

1 quart buttermilk               2 lbs bacon           

 vegetable or canola oil       Creamy Ranch dressing

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.  Place half of this mixture in a large, flat baking dish.  Pour half of the buttermilk in a separate large baking dish.  Dip each bacon strip first in the buttermilk, then in the seasoned flour.  Set the bacon aside on a rack for a few minutes to allow the flour to absorb some of the buttermilk to form a good coating.  For an extra crispy coating, dredge the bacon once more in just the flour mixture.  Heat a good inch of vegetable oil in a large frying pan (or in a deep fryer) until a thermometer inserted reads 350 degrees.  Fry the bacon, a few strips at a time (you don't want to crowd the pan or fryer), until the strips are golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes per side.  Drain the bacon on a rack.  Continue until all of the bacon is fried.  Serve the bacon warm (do allow it to cool a few minutes before serving as the hot bacon can burn) with the cold dipping sauce and plenty of napkins.   

Tuesday Night TV

I just love Tuesday night TV.  My evening started with American Idol. Those who know me know I'm an Idol junkie.  My guess is after tonight's performances, Katie and Paige are headed home.  Crystal knocked it out of the park again.  She's definitely my favorite.  Tomorrow night we'll hear from the guys.

Glee was back tonight.  I just love that show!  I recognize so many of the personalities on the show from my own high school days.  I was a show choir kid - and we were pretty good.  Shout out to Winola High School.

When 9:00 rolls around, I'm off to Food Network for Chopped.  These poor chefs have to create a dish from secret ingredients in a basket. There is an appetizer round, an entree round and a dessert round; and a new basket of ingredients for each round.  Most weeks there are some really unusual ingredients - lots I haven't even heard of.  I usually get at least one new menu idea from the show.

Part of the items from Katy's party arrived today. There is still one package on the way and a couple of items backordered.  It's been a long wait for this shipment, but apparently there were many, many orders submitted on Feb 28th.  To those of you who ordered, you should have your items within the next day or so.   Thanks again for your orders.

What A Weekend!

Oh, the weather was beautiful last weekend.  We finally had a chance to spend a little bit of time outside.  Just when I thought my Snow Drops weren't going to bloom this year, they appeared.  It's so nice to see little yellow, purple and white flowers popping up. The tulips and daffodils are about 4" tall now.  I can't wait for them to bloom.  Even the day lillies are are poking through.  Ahhhhh - Spring will come.

We opened the doors and windows and let the house air out on Sunday.  It was 70 and just gorgeous.  Spent the day spring cleaning.  I still have lots to do, but it sure feels good to have the windows shined, a closet or two cleaned out, and the refrigerator cleaned from top to bottom.  I got all of the bedding washed and dried.  Is there anything better than sleeping in a freshly made bed?  I just love the Egyptian Cotton sheets.  They are so soft!

We have a huge To Do list for outside too.  We need to powerwash the house, wash the windows, powerwash and seal all three decks, put new mulch in all of the flower beds and the front yard, get the garden ready to plant, and clean up the patio furniture and grill.  That should use up a weekend or three or four . . .  We love to do this stuff, but it's just hard to find time to get it all done.

Strawberry Delight - A Refreshing Spring Dessert

One angel food cake
2 - 3 oz pkgs of Strawberry Jell-o
2 1/4 cups hot water (boiling)
1 - 16 oz tub of Cool Whip
1 - 16 oz pkg of fresh or frozen strawberries

Mix Jell-o and hot water until dissolved.  If using frozen strawberries, add them to the Jell-o mixture and stir until mixture is thickened.  (If you use fresh strawberries, thicken the Jell-o mixture with ice cubes.  Remove the remaining ice when mixture thickens and then add strawberries.  Fold in Cool Whip.

In a large bowl, break up the angel food cake into 1" pieces.  Add Jell-o mixture and stir well.  Pour into a 9 x 13" pan or a Trifle Bowl.  Refrigerate until set.

This is a cool refreshing dessert, and very pretty.