A Proverbs 31 Kind of Day

There are so many good thoughts running through my mind. Pasta! Fresh pasta! Gluten free pasta! YES!!  Five years of being gluten free and having marginal pasta, this was a win! Thank you, Aldi! While shopping at Aldi, I found a FRESH, GLUTEN FREE pasta! Can you even believe it? Me either! I almost didn't care what it tasted like, I was just thrilled to be able to buy fresh pasta. OK -- so I did care what it tasted like.  I kind of over-exaggerated that point. The day Mr. and I were shopping, and I spied this -- I grabbed a few and texted my friend, Sheila. Sheila is a great hostess.  It was during a soirees that my girl cherub had Ms. Sheila's Alfredo sauce. That was several years ago, but I remember my girl cherub raving about it. As you know, I do not really care for pasta. I mean, it's ok. But the Mr. and two cherubs -- they L.O.V.E pasta. The kind of love that never gets tired of having pasta as a meal option. But as for ...

There's only one in our family that really "loves" Caesar salad. That's my girl cherub. Not that the others of us dislike it; it's just that we don't really think about it when we think "salad." Caesar salad is really kind of simple. The components aren't fancy, but they are flavorful! The other night, for dinner, I entertained the thought of making a Caesar salad. But I didn't want to buy a bottle of dressing. Not because I'm opposed to buying bottled dressing, but because I was at home and didn't want to make a trip "into town" for dressing! I searched for different recipes: Some using anchovies. Some not. Some using grated parmesan in the recipe. Some not. Some using oil. Some not. In the end,  here's my Caesar concoction. Now!  To warn you; it's a little more on the lemon side. I told my cherubs that the lemon made it "bri...

We love pizza. When we were thrown into gluten free eating, we had trouble finding good gluten free pizza out in restaurants. Which leads to me to ask the question, "Why is pizza so crazy expensive?" I honestly don't understand! While we do like "calling in a pizza," we also really like making them at home more! We all hang around and prepare different ingredients for the pizza bar. Some of us like pineapple. Some like garlic. Some like black olives. Some want meat, while others don't. That's why make-your-own-pizza night is fun! It gets you in the kitchen together, talking, laughing, and making fun of your family members! The other night, we were going to make pizzas but I had no pizza sauce. Stop there. I really don't like buying pizza sauce. I actually don't really like the way it tastes and since we don't use it all at one time, there are left-overs. I don't like using the left-over sauce. ...

My cherubs love cinnamon. Seriously love it! Anytime I can add cinnamon to a recipe, I always do! When I saw this recipe, I thought it would be great. I actually thought it would be a bit different then how it turned out. But to my surprise, I was very pleased with the outcome. I did make a little change to the original recipe, but that's because of our love of the cinnamon flavor. This is wonderful poured over warm waffles or pancakes. By warm, I mean warmed up! On busy school mornings, we just take the waffles I made from the weekend and reheat in the toaster. Cinnamon Waffle Sauce 1 cup water 1 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 tsp good quality cinnamon (I used siagon cinnamon) Place all of the ingredients in a heavy sauce pan over high heat.  Continue to stir until the cinnamon is dissolved in the mixture and the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/medium heat and continue to simmer until the mixture reduces until the it is thick and syrup-like, ...

We love Mexican food. Admittedly. We have a terrible crush on chips, salsa, pulled chicken tacos, and most other Mexican-style food. One thing, though, that nobody in our family really cares for is the red chili enchilada sauce. Give us green. Or sour cream. Or even cheese. But not red. So think me crazy when I thought that I'd make enchiladas for dinner using . . .RED enchilada sauce. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was having pregnancy cravings. Because that's what was happening! I was honestly CRAVING red enchilada sauce. Of course, though, I didn't have any of the canned stuff. I don't buy it. But even if I did buy it, I wouldn't have it anyways. Because that's the law of returning home from being out of town. Whatever you need or want when you return from being out of town, you don't have. Period. You have to go to the store. But I wasn't going to the store, because I didn't want to. Plus...

If you've read the last post, you know we had sweet friends over for dessert recently. Because we were having a "make your own chocolate chip ice cream sundae bar," I needed wanted hot fudge sauce. Sure, I could have gone to my favorite ice cream dairy store (picture below) and picked up a jar of their delicious hot fudge sauce. But I didn't. I was feeling way to domesticated for such radical behavior! I have a great hot fudge sauce recipe. But I couldn't find it. This makes a woman like me crazy. Crazy, I tell you! I can tell you who we were with the last time I made it. I can remember where I found the recipe the last time I made it. So why, oh why, can't I find it now? I don't know. But I don't have time to panic. I only have time for hot fudge sauce. I searched and searched for a recipe that was similar to the one I wanted to make. The one I wanted to make does NOT have sweetened condensed milk in it. N...

Imaged used from the Internet We were having friends over for dessert. We hadn't done that in such a long time! It was fun! They were going to be in the area and made it easy for them to drop by and hang out for awhile. Since the cherubs are baking chocolate chip cookies for their March "Treat of the Month" club, I decided that for dessert we would have a chocolate chip sundae bar! Of the 9 who would be eating dessert, 5 of them were kids. "Make your own sundae" is always fun for kids . . . and Karen! Earlier in the day, I made a homemade hot fudge sauce, homemade caramel sauce, bought vanilla ice cream from my favorite dairy store, Braums, pulled out the sprinkles to dash on top, and got the chocolate chip cookies ready. At the very last minute, I thought that a marshmallow sauce would be fun to have too. I've never been one to live or die by marshmallow sauce, but it couldn't be all bad, huh? And it definitely couldn...

For Christmas lunch, my mom made a ham and this delicious pineapple sauce. We all instantly loved it! We have eaten cold and we've eaten it warm. We have thought about all the ways to use this sauce: with grilled chicken with grilled/roasted pork with baked ham on sandwiches as a dip mixed with cream cheese wrap brie and this sauce in puff pastry and bake to serve as an appetizer My cherub's really loved this and have already asked for me to make more of it! They're favorite thing right now is to make a grilled ham and pimento cheese sandwich and use this as the spread! They call it "the ultimate ride!" Mix this condiment up and see how many recipes you can create with it! Pineapple Sauce 1 - 20oz can crushed pineapple, undrained 1 cup brown sugar 1 TBSP cornstarch 1/4 tsp. salt 2 TBSP lemon juice 1/2-1 TBSP Dijon mustard Combine the brown sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Stir in the pineapple, lemon juice, and mustard. Cook over me...

I've made reference to our trip last Summer to different European countries. My prized souvenirs are cookbooks from each country. I'm not sure, of the 4 cookbooks, which is my favorite, but I surely enjoy the one I purchased while in Greece. I'll tell the quick story: We were in an open air market in Greece, searching through antiques and junk. Along the perimeter of where we were shopping were business. In typical European fashion, outside one of the restaurants was a young man leaning against the doorframe, as if to summon customers into his restaurant. When he heard our English, he asked where we were from, as he had studied in the States when he was in school. That question led to a great conversation and he invited us into the restaurant which he and his mother owned.  We sampled all sorts of incredible foods that afternoon and when I told him that I would love to have a cookbook because of the great experience we had just had, he showed me the co...

My cherubs are on minimester this week. Minimester is a ministry or education opportunity that students participate in during the week before Spring Break. This year, my boy Cherub went with his class to Washington, D.C.  It was both an education and a ministry trip. My girl Cherub went with her class for an outdoor science camp.  I went as a chaperon to the science camp. It was fun. But for 2 days I've been in the blowing wind, learning about all sorts of interesting "scienc-y" things and eating camp food. To their credit, this camp did offer lots of options in the camp food experience and there was always a salad bar. But after 3 days, I was ready for some variety. And I was ready for something from my kitchen. Me and my sweet girl cherub decided we wanted kabobs! Off to the store we went when we got back from camp and we bought all sorts of veggies and some chicken and beef so that we could make grilled kabobs! We also picked up a ...

Now you know my true confessions of my unsuccessful attempts at making Ina's caramel sauce. I'm sorely disappointed in myself! But I didn't stop trying . . . I just stopped trying her recipe! I went for something a little more simple. Not so simple as to use condensed milk . . . but sort of a cheaters way of making caramel sauce! I searched the web and found different recipes . . . read the mixed reviews and finally decided to try a combination of 3 recipes! And I was successful! It tasted delicious on my favorite apple! It also tasted delicious directly off of the spoon. It took three spoonfuls to know I liked it. Sometimes I'm a slow learner! Caramel Sauce 4 TBSP butter 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream 1 TBSP vanilla In a sauce pan, over medium heat, melt the butter and brown sugar together, until the sugar is dissolved. Add in the heavy whipping cream.  It will sizzle and bubble -- but don't worry.  Keep stir...

Ina Garten's Caramel Sauce, from the Food Network I idolize Ina Garten.  When I was young, and didn't know to appreciate things. She bored me. Seriously bored me. I didn't get her. Now I'm grown up and mature  and I have seen the errors of my ways and I'm just here to say that Ina Garten R.O.C.K.S ! I think I'd rather meet her over Paula Deen. Serious! The other day, I caught the very end of her making a "basic caramel sauce." I didn't know there was a "basic caramel sauce." This stuff looked like a pot of gold just waiting to be devoured! Get the biggest, prettiest serving spoon a girl can handle and scoop out a glop of that stuff and eat it up!  I'm just saying, this stuff is probably not safe in my refrigerator if I'm at home by myself! This sauce will make a perfect gift anytime of the year! So I made the sauce. The recipe is listed below. I made it twice. Failed both times...

I couldn't get a picture taken . . . I couldn't get my photo editing program to work . . . I was frustrated and I'm posting it anyways! You may be asking, "why would you want to make your own cherry pie filling?" I'll refer you to the earlier post where I made mention that the Mr. brought home 11 pounds of cherries, because, and I quote, "it was a good price!" Now, I will say, this is good for more than just pie.  We've eaten it on toast with a smear of cream cheese, on p.b. & j sandwich, with a cream on a scone, and with pork.  All pretty tasty! Homemade Cherry Pie Filling 6 cups fresh pitted cherries, about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds ( I used Bing) 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 1 to 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar 4 tablespoons cornstarch 1-2 tsp. almond extract, if desired Directions: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cherries, water, lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch. Bring to a boil; reduce heat ...

Disclaimer:  I am not particularly fond of Caesar Salad or the dressing. The croutons,on the other hand, I kinda like those. But not so much anything else. My cherubs, on the other hand, really like Caesar salad. Sometimes, I'm nice and give a salad choice. When I do that I make 2 Caesar salads for them and 2 different salads for me and the Mr. However, we were going to dinner at a friend's house and I agreed to take a salad. I gave them a choice. Her reply, "OH!  We like either!" My girl cherub was the deciding vote -- Caesar won! But because my friend is a good cook -- I had to go above and beyond and make homemade croutons . . .  .  . . AND homemade Caesar dressing! Since I don't have  a dressing recipe, I began to search. The basic difference I found:  either it's "real" and it's made with oil and egg yolk, or it's "kinda real" and it's made with mayonnaise as the base. Because my air is out a...

I adore the strawberry romanoff at La Madeleine! It's so French-y! Not that I've ever been to France to know if something is "French-y" but in my mind, that's what it's like! Cobblestone walkways, Chefs in floppy white hats, fresh fruits and pastries . . .  . . . and fabulous cream that you would be willing to lick off the floor. That's Strawberry Romanoff. A year or two ago I thought, "there can't be much to that sauce." When I think "much to that . . . "  what I'm really saying is "Surely I can figure something out that's somewhat close!" Remember the Primo body sprays from the 80's -- you know, the ones that said, "If you love Giorgio, then you'll love Primo !"  Well, that's kind of what I mean when I say close !  As in, if you had the sauces side by side, you could probably surely tell the difference; but if you were going for a "Oh my word!  That's like La Ma...

I don't even know what to call this post. It goes with the pork that I made the other night -- before I made the cowboy nacho stuff . . . but after I roasted the pork. I made this sauce to put on the meat. I didn't want to put BBQ sauce, but I wanted a little something to keep the meat tasty and not to get dried out when I was re-heating. I found this on the world wide web. I'd give credit to the rightful owner and inventor but  I don't even know where I looked to find this secret recipe! The only reason I can repost this is because I'm lazy . . . but it saves me! I'm lazy in that:  when I find a recipe on line that I want to make, I take a picture of the recipe on my computer screen with my smart phone and I carry my smart phone into the kitchen so that I don't have to keep running back to my computer. Enough about how weird I can be -- here's the sauce. This is a very thin, flavorful sauce to pour over your pork or beef. BBQ ...

The other day I posted a cilantro lime dressing. Today, I'm posting just a plain 'ol lime dressing. Perhaps you think I'm stuck on lime things. I actually think it's just a fluke. The difference between this one and the other dressing: I have made this one. As in just the other day made it. I really liked it. My smallest cherub thought that it was "pungent." She used the word in the sentence correctly and everything. Then asked what "pungent" meant. I'm thinking she didn't really mean what she said about the dressing! I liked this on a salad with grilled chicken, chopped purple onion, and sliced mango. Then, last night, I made a "Mexican Chicken Pasta Salad" and I used this as the dressing. I liked that too. Lime Dressing 1/4 cup rice vinegar 2 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 1 garlic clove, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup c...

 Picture used from Google Image I'm having the minister's wives over for lunch on Tuesday. I've settled on a menu . . . but it's only Sunday, so I'm liable to change my mind 10 more times before I head to the grocery store! I'll be serving a green salad and I was flipping through some recipe books looking for a new dressing.  I normally go to one of my 3 favorites because I know they're delicious. But I'm branching out a bit for this lunch. I saw this recipe in a Southern Living book and it sounds great! I think it would be great drizzled poured over some greens with some sliced mango, purple onion, and avocado! I think it would also make a great chicken marinade -- or fish too! Let's make a new dressing together! Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette 1/2 cup cider vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro 1 teaspoon grated lime rind 2 tablespoons lime juice Click to see savings 1 tablespoon honey 1/4 tea...

Not my picture; not my pasta. Image used from the internet. My family loves pasta. As in, they would not complain if I served pasta every night of the week. I would complain. They would not. My girl loves Alfredo sauce. Matter of fact, a real "treat" to her is when I let her get a lean cuisine meal for dinner!  She always gets the chicken Alfredo! Now, my boys, they are a classic red sauce.  I'll post that recipe later -- but today is for a quick Alfredo sauce. I made this when we were having friends over for dinner. It was such a hit.  It's great because these are normal ingredients and you are not having to start with a basic white sauce.  This recipe is basically melting cheese together! And even I liked it!  You want to know what I liked about this sauce -- it was thick.  Thick! Not a thin little white sauce that you're kind of scraping the plate with your noodles. This is a substantial, stick to the noodles, kind of s...

I heart cranberries! I've already bought my first three pound bag of cranberries of the season!  It's so exciting! I've already thought of the many "cranberry" things to make -- and wondered about new recipes! This is a new recipe.  I'm taking a salad to lunch tomorrow with new friends and wanted something that wasn't expected -- what better than a tart dressing on beautiful spinach greens!  I'm already excited! The original recipe called for 1/4 cup of cranberries.  Really!?!?!  Only 1/4 of a cup -- you could hardly taste that!  So, I went a little wild and added more!  The recipe also called for 1 cup of oil -- but I wanted to add cranberry juice -- one for a little extra punch of tartness and also for color.  So, I reduced the oil significantly and added the juice.  I'm pleased with the changes.  But if you want to fiddle with the recipe -- go ahead, it won't hurt my feelings! Remember, this has cranberries i...