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When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste. ~Laiko Bahrs









Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Baked Spaghetti

You can use either store bought spaghetti sauce or make your own. This recipe calls for homemade but substitute what you like.


1 box Penne noodles (or your noodle of chose, I prefer shorter noodles due to the fact that I have small children and its easier for them to eat)

cook noodles as directed on box

sauce

2 14oz cans diced tomatoes with juice
2 8 oz cans tomato sauce
1/2 t Italian seasonings
1/2 t dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c chopped onions
1 t minced or chopped garlic
1 T Extra virgin olive oil ( i love using this, its adds another depth of flavor)
4 oz Cream cheese
1 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 c sour cream

saute onions in EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) for about 5 minutes or until they become translucent.

add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil for 15 minutes.
place heat on simmer and take a potato smasher and smash some of the tomatoes, all if you dont like it as chunky.

Next, add cream cheese in chunks to sauce until stir until melted! I tend to leave a few pieces of cream cheese whole, adds a little texture to the dish.

Once the cream cheese has melted, turn off heat and add your sour cream, drain your noodles and add to sauce. Mix together well and place in a pre-sprayed baking dish (casserole) and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

If you prefer you sauce with veggies in it, feel free to add peppers, mushrooms, or carrots to mixture. Saute them when you saute your onions.

I hope you try this dish, I got it from my mother-in-law and changed it a little... Let me know if you try this one! Its a family favorite in my house!

Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Tortilla Pizza, Homemade pizza sauce

Today the kids wanted pizza. So, instead of ordering them one, which by the way, we in live so far out that we don't get delivery, or buying a frozen one that is packed with sodium and hidden additives and preservatives, I decided to make one homemade! I forgot to take a picture, I am still so new at this.... Here we go:

Tortilla Pizza

1 10 in soft tortilla
1/3 cup homemade pizza sauce (see below)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 T grated Parmesan cheese

place to soft tortilla shell on a pizza pan and place in a 425 degree oven for 5 minutes

take out pan and flip tortilla. If you are using a pan that has small holes in the pan, your crust will be crispier on the bottom.

top this pizza with all the ingredients. You can also add or take ones away that you like. I made myself on and used less cheese and added fresh diced baby portebello mushrooms and fresh from the garden diced yellow tomato. Both pizzas were devoured. I hope you will use this one! Let me know if you do!


Sauce
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes with juice
1 small can tomato sauce
1 t garlic powder or 1/2 t minced garlic
1 t Italian seasonings
1/2 t pepper

Add all ingredients to a sauce pan and cook about 20 minutes. Then take a potato smasher and smash the tomatoes until they are broken down but not completely smashed. If you want you pizza sauce thicker, use 1/2 small can of tomato paste instead of the tomato sauce.

Starting a new chapter....

Today, out of a whim, I decided to start a blog. This blog will be of all the recipes that I make for my family and get togethers. I have no professional experience in cooking, I just come from a family who loves to cook, and eat!! My mamaw has been my biggest inspiration to this chapter in my life. She not only loves to cook, but she is really good at it. She had her own restaurant. She cooks for the day care at her church and also for all the get togethers at the church. Some day I would love to run a diner. But, it will take baby steps. I also dedicate this blog to my granny who passed 4 years ago. I miss her dearly. She would be so proud, I know.

To tell you a little about myself, I am 26 years old, married over 6 years to a wonderful man, Eric. We have 2 children, Emma 4 and Dillon 2. There is not much to tell about me...I come from a very loving family, 2 sisters, Leslie and Missy, Parents Bob and Carol. I am the youngest and though they say I am spoiled, I don't believe it! My parents raised us in a Godly home. We went to church just about every time the doors were open. My mom, who i am very proud of, is now the Associate Pastor of her church. My father, stands proudly, not behind her, but beside her. They work hand in hand and she would not be at the place that she is a not, if he was not there holding her up and supporting her. My father, who has been with IBM more that 30 years, is a strong man, he is a very important person in my life. I love my parents dearly. My sisters have done well for themselves. One does hair and nails, and the other works for an attorney. Both are bettering themselves by going back to college. I wish them the best luck ever! The are the mothers to my niece and nephew, Kinsley and Jacob. Both, I love dearly, more than I express to them, they will never know.

The whole point of the blog page is for me to get out there the passion that I have for food. Not just eating it, But I love to cook it. Hate the clean up but who doesn't. I love watching Paula Deen, Rachel Ray, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, Sandra Lee's Money saving meals, and Ina Gartin. If my TV could stay on food network 24/7, it would be, but as I mentioned before, I have 2 small children. So thankful for DVR, I can record my shows and watch them later!

Thank you God for giving me this passion! Help me along my journey. Guide my footsteps. Teach me in ways I can understand. Thank you for blessing me and my family. Touch the readers that I may have. In your name, AMEN!!!


Hope everyone enjoys and if you have any suggestions, please let me know!