Dill Dip

After tasting many brands of mayonnaise, Hellmann’s Light is my favorite. 

1 c. sour cream

1 c. real mayo

2 T. dry minced onion

1 T. dried parsley flakes

2 T. or more fresh dill weed (or 1-2 T. dried)

1 ½ tsp. Lawry’s seasoned salt

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.  Serve with raw veggies.

Happy Harvest!

Dear friends shared their garden bounty in this lovely basket!  Beautiful and delicious!

A friend shared his bounty cucumber and kohlrabi crop with me--and his secret recipe!  Yum!

Ham and Cheese Casserole

This recipe can be cut in half and baked in a 8 x 8 pan. 

4 c. (about 3 crowns) fresh broccoli florets, steamed until tender

3 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

4 c. chopped cooked ham

1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms, drained, optional

4 c. rotini, cooked and drained

1 c. mayonnaise

½ c. diced red pepper

½ c. milk

½ c. Italian bread crumbs

1 Tbsp. melted butter

In a large bowl, combine broccoli, 2 c. of cheese, ham, mushrooms, rotini, mayo, red pepper and milk.  Spoon into a greased 13 x 9 pan.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 c. cheese.  Combine butter and bread crumbs; sprinkle on top.  Bake in a preheated 350º oven, uncovered for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  8-10 servings.

COCONUT CHOCOLATE CHIP GRANOLA BARS

 These bars are super easy to make.  I like to wrap individually for picnics or lunches.  See the picture on the following videos.

3 c. quick cooking oats

1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

1 c. coconut

1 c. sliced almonds or chopped pecans

1 c. mini chocolate chips

½ c. dried cranberries or raisins

Preheat oven to 350˚.  Grease a 13 x 9 pan.  In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients until until well-blended.  (It may be helpful to use your hands)  Press into prepared pan.  Bake 20-25 minutes, depending on how crunchy you want bars.  (Lightly browned just around the edges will yield a moist, chewy bar).  Let cool 5 minutes; cut into squares; cool completely before serving.

2nd segment

Enjoy!--

Cooking with Kids--with my granddaughters on Fox 6's Real Milwaukee show

Oven Roasted Asparagus

I love asparagus--'tis the season!
  
The bottom of asparagus can be tough and woody.  Bend each spear until it breaks.  It will break where the tough part starts.

Fresh asparagus, tough ends removed
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
kosher or sea salt

Preheat oven to 425.  Place asparagus in single layer on rimmed baking sheet.  Drizzle with EVOO; sprinkle with salt.  Bake 425 for 12-15 minutes until desired tenderness.

Asparagus is a member of the Lily family, and has the highest amount of folic acid of all vegetables.  Under ideal conditions, an asparagus spear can grown 10" in a 24-hour period.

Cod with Lemon Caper Sauce

Try this delicious recipe served over couscous.

 

8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 pound cod fillets

1/2 c. white wine

1/2 c. water

1/2 tsp. "Better than Bouillon"

2 Tbsp. capers, rinsed and drained

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

butter

olive oil

flour

In a fry pan, saute mushrooms in a small amount of butter and oil.  Remove from pan.  In same fry pan, melt 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. oil; season fish with salt and pepper on both sides; cook fish until  done, turning once.  Remove fish to a platter.  Melt 1-2 Tbsp. butter in pan; stir in 2 Tbsp. flour.  Stir and cook for about 1/2 minute.  Slowly stir in wine and water.  Boil and stir 1 minute.  Stir in bouillon, capers and lemon juice.  Return chicken and mushrooms to pan to heat through.  Add fresh parsley.

Happy Easter Basket!

Gather the items below and make a special Easter basket.  Attach card with the following:

The green grass reminds us of the palms that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem one day.

The purple egg reminds us that Jesus shared drink and bread with His disciples.

The red egg reminds us that Jesus died for me.

The brown chocolate bunny reminds us of the dark cave where Jesus’ body lay.

The white lamb reminds us of the angel who said, “He’s risen!”

The yellow chick reminds us of the bright sun and the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday.

“…if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  Romans 10:9-10

Radio Interview

I just did a 10 minute radio interview with Julaine Appling of Wisconsin Family Action.  You can listen here: http://bit.ly/X8AYed

HAM AND CHEESE CASSEROLE

This recipe can be cut in half and baked in a 8 x 8 pan. 

4 c. (about 3 crowns) fresh broccoli florets, steamed until tender

3 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided

4 c. chopped cooked ham

1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms, drained, optional

4 c. rotini, cooked and drained

1 c. mayonnaise

½ c. diced red pepper

½ c. milk

½ c. seasoned crouton crumbs

1 Tbsp. melted butter

Mix all ingredients except 1 c. of the cheese, croutons and butter.  Spoon into greased 13 x 9 pan.  Sprinkle with remaining 1 c. cheese.  Combine butter and crouton crumbs; sprinkle on top.  Bake in a preheated 350º oven, uncovered for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.  8-10 servings.

A Great Recipe from Pioneer Woman

 I follow Pioneer Woman's blog.  She's funny and has great recipes.  I have both of her cookbooks; the first one being my favorite.  She has a show on Food Network, but if you're like me and don't have cable, you can watch free past episodes on line.  Enjoy this recipe, great app or for lunch!

Zannie's Black-Eyed Pea Dip

Prep Time:

10 Minutes

Cook Time:

30 Minutes

Difficulty:

Easy

Servings:

12

 

Ingredients

• 1 can (14-ounce) Can Black-eyed Peas
• 1/4 whole Onion, Chopped Fine
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream
• 8 slices Jarred Jalapenos
• 1 cup Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
• 3 Tablespoons Salsa
• Hot Sauce, to taste
• Salt And Black Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain black-eyed peas and partially mash, leaving some whole.
Add all other ingredients, stirring to combine.
Spread into a 1 1/2 quart baking dish and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until hot and bubbly.
Serve with tortilla chips!
*Note: if you have them available, you can use the canned black-eyed peas and jalapenos (they're canned together.) If you do this, you can omit the extra jalapenos.

Grandma's Chex Mix

This really is my Grandma's recipe. It's more than 40 years old! I like it the best of all the many varieties of this recipe that are out there.  It would be fun to serve in tall jars at your New Year's party or anytime!

1 ½ gallons of Chex or Crispex of your choice

1-2 c. pretzel sticks, broken

about 1 pound nuts of your choice (I like cashews, almonds and pecans)

Mix the above in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, mix:

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 c. oil

1 ½ tsp. garlic salt

1 ½ tsp. seasoned salt

Shake well. Pour over Chex mixture. Stir to coat. Pour into 2 or 3, 13 x 9" pans. Bake in a preheated 250˚ oven for 1 ½ hours, stirring every half hour. Transfer from pans to paper towels to cool. Store in airtight container.

To order a cookbook...

call me at 262-338-0205!  I'll mail your cookbook, when I get your check!  Thank you!