Pasta Taco Salad

I tried this recipe from another food blog and tried it while Kristen was here visiting. It was really good, and the leftovers were yummy for several days after. I love dinners like this in the summer when it's just too hot to heat the oven.

Pasta Taco Salad

1 pound pasta ( farfalle, wagonwheel, spiral, whatever you like)

Salt

1 (10 oz pkg.) frozen corn (I used two cans of drained canned corn)

1 1/2 cup salsa

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

3 roma tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 T. fresh lime juice

1 large avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced

1 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

Dash of Tabasco

Cook Pasta in salted water until Al dante. Drain pasta and stir in frozen corn to cool the pasta and stop the cooking. Toss the pasta with the salsa, beans, tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese. Make a dressing with the lime juice, spices, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix well, then whisk in the olive oil and Tabasco. Add the dressing to the pasta. In a small bowl, toss the avocado with some more lime juice. Serve the salad with the avocado on the side to be added. If you don't add the avocado, the salad will keep for several days and makes great leftovers.

Peach syrup

Blake made pancakes w/ this yummy syrup on his birthday--so yummy! We have a BlendTec blender (where we got the recipe) which heats it up as it blends. So just use your blender and blend til totally smooth then heat it up either on the stove or microwave.

Peach Syrup
-3 cups peaches, peeled and pitted
-3/4 cup sugar
-1 tsp. lemon juice

Enjoy!

Traditional Mother's Day Dinner

Years ago, I taught what was then called the "Merrie Miss" girls. Every year, just before Mother's day, our activity would be to teach them how to make the whole dinner so they could make it for their moms(most done on Saturday before) on Mother's Day. We would make Lasagna, Italian Salad, and garlic bread and Sherbet Dessert. Since then, it's become our traditional Mother's Day dinner. I remember getting lots of phone calls every Saturday before Mother's Day from little girls cooking for their families, most for the first time.

This is a very easy and tasty lasagna recipe. The noodles "soak" all night in the fridge because you prepare the day before, so they don't have to be cooked.
Lasagna
1 32 oz bottle spaghetti sauce ( I like Prego- but use your favorite jar sauce)
1 8 oz/ pkg. lasagna noodles
1 lb. grated mozarella cheese
1 pint cottage cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1 egg
Parsley flakes
1 lb. hamburger OR 1/2 lb. hamburger and 1/2 lb. crumbled sausage, browned with
1 chopped onion

In a large frypan, brown the hamburger and onion, drain and add the spaghetti sauce. In a bowl, mix cheeses with parsley and egg. Layer in a 9 x 13 pan: dry noodles, filling, sauce, noodles, filling sauce. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese. Cover with foil and store in fridge until Sunday. Put in timebake while you're at church at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.



Italian Salad
1 bunch broccoli, chopped fine
1 head cauliflower, chopped fine
8 oz. mushrooms, chopped fine
1 bottle Italian dressing
Sunflower seeds, opt.
Grated cheese, opt.

Pour dressing over vegetables and marinade overnight.

Garlic Bread

Slice a large loaf of French bread and spread both sides generously with a mixture of barely melted butter, Parmesan, garlic salt and parsley flakes. Put back together, wrap in foil and heat in oven just before serving. Serve warm.

Sherbet Dessert

1/2 gallon sherbet (lime, orange, or raspberry)

Frozen Whipped Topping (12 oz.)

1 box vanilla wafers

Crush the vanilla wafers. Line a 13x9 pan with 1/2 of the crushed wafers. Soften the sherbet and whipped topping. When soft, mix together in a very large bowl. When well combined, spoon over the crushed vanilla wafers. Top with the remaining wafers. Freeze.

Happy Mother's Day!!!!

Enchilada Soup

We found this recipe and tried it last night...YUMMMMO! It was super easy too.

2 cups chicken broth

1 19 oz can enchilada sauce

1 4.5 oz can green chilies

1 20 oz package bone in chicken breasts, skin removed (I just used boneless skinless)

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 12 oz bag frozen corn, thawed and drained (I just used a can)

Shredded Mexican cheese blend (if desired)

Chopped fresh cilantro (if desired)

Crushed tortilla chips (if desired)

1. Spray 4 or 5 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, mix broth, enchilada sauce and chilies. Place chicken into enchilada sauce mixture; spoon sauce over chicken.

2. Cover; cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours. (I did it on high for 2 1/5 hours, added beans and corn and cooked on low for another 2 or so hours because that is what fit our schedule.)

3. Remove chicken from cooker with slotted spoon. Stir beans and corn into mixture in cooker. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 5-10 minutes longer. Meanwhile, shred chicken by pulling apart with 2 forks; return to cooker. Cook until thoroughly heated.

4. Top each serving with cheese, cilantro and tortilla chips.

DELISH!

Lemon Drop Cookies

Ready for another of my Top Ten Favorite Cookie recipes? These are so yummy . . lemony, but not too lemony. You use crushed lemon drops (those sugary lemon candies- pictured above) I hope you enjoy!

Lemon Drop Cookies

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups butter flavored shortening

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. lemon extract

4 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

Zest of one lemon (save the lemon for the frosting)

1 (6 oz.) pkg. lemon drops, crushed in the blender or food processor

Frosting

2 cups (more or less) powdered sugar

Juice of two lemons

Preheat oven to 350. In mixing bowl, cream sugar, shortening, and eggs; Add flavorings. Turn off beater and add dry ingredients. Turn on and stir in. Add lemon zest and crushed lemon drops. Mix well. Roll into balls. Flatten slightly and put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silpat (very important as these cookies will stick) I'm thinking waxed paper may work, too. Bake for about 10 minutes. Don't overbake. Let cool slightly, then glaze while still warm. You can use a brush and brush on the glaze. Let cool. Makes 4-5 dozen.

Ham with Pineapple

Want ham for Easter, but don't want or need to do a whole big ham? Try this simple recipe. I got it from my sister, Joan years ago. Recently she published a cookbook and I found the recipe in there. But it was a little different than the one I've been using for years. So I tried this "new" version, and it's even better. Joan's obviously been tweaking and improving. You can get a bag of five nice ham steaks at Costco (and freeze what you don't need) or they sell them at the grocery store, too.

Mix together:

1/2-3/4 cups brown sugar (always error on the side of sweet, is my motto)

2 T. prepared mustard

Make it into a paste. Open a can of pineapple. (Joan says sliced pineapple, which would be much prettier, but chunks is what I had) Add 1 T. pineapple juice to the paste and mix. Spread paste onto the ham steak. Drain the pineapple and arrange over the top. Cover with foil and warm in 350 oven for 30- 45 minutes.

Scotcharoos

Every Easter/ Spring Break, we have to have Scotcharoos. I got this recipe years ago from my sister-in-law, Ada and we've been making it every Easter since.
2cups sugar
2 cups light corn syrup
2 cups peanut butter
1 13oz box rice krispies
1 pkg. chocolate chips (semi sweet)
1 pkg. butterscotch chips
Butter two large sided cookie sheets ( you know the kind all Mormons have) (or you can use two 9 x 13. The scotcharoos will be thicker.)
Combine sugar and syrup in a large pan (needs to be at least 3 qt) Cook until mixture begins to bubble, stirring frequently. Remove from heat; Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add cereal and stir until your arm falls off. Press into the prepared pans. Melt the chips in the microwave (don't burn it) Stir and spread over the cereal bars. Cool in fridge until topping is set. Cut and eat with family and friends on your Easter picnic!