Goulash

It's hard to believe that I started babysitting when I was 9 1/2.

I babysat for all of the kiddos on my block.  I have twins that are 11 1/2 and we just began to let them stay home alone for small periods of time.

Crazy how times change?

There was one family I babysat for at the top of the street, and she was a good cook.

A lot of times when there is a babysitter, kids are given mac 'n cheese, or PB&J, but 

this mom liked to cook, and she would prepare food for me to warm up for the kids.

One time, she had goulash.

This goulash.

It wasn't anything that my Mom ever made, and so when I tried it and I liked it, I asked for the recipe.

I still have the VERY recipe on a note card that was put in my hope chest.

Did you have a hope chest?

In my opinion it's something all of us should have.

I don't know why, but I hadn't made this recipe for years.

(B.C. even... "Before Children")

My Mom still makes it for her and her husband quite often.

I came across the recipe in my cookbook, and thought I'd give it a whirl.

When I was making it, my youngest daughter asked me how I got it "printed like that on that note card?"

Well, I used my electric typewriter.

"YOU had a TYPEWRITER?" she exclaimed.

Yes, yes, dear, we did.

How cool was I?

Back in the dark ages, a.k.a. The 80's, when we took typing class not "keyboarding."

typing class, picture taken from my freshman year yearbook

Like everything else, I switched up the original recipe.

We love our veggies, so I added more.

Plus, there are more of us to cook for, so I made more.

I hope that you won't wait 20 years to feed it to your kids, mine loved it.

Easy weeknight meal.

Goulash

2 pounds lean ground beef

1 medium sized sweet onion, chopped

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups carrots, chopped

1 1/2 cups celery, chopped

1 - 14 ounce can diced tomatoes

2 - 8 ounce cans tomato sauce

12 ounces macaroni noodles, or what you have on hand

Brown ground beef with onion and celery,  sprinkled with salt and pepper.

Drain any excess grease.

Return to pan, add carrots, tomatoes and tomato sauce.

Simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While sauce is simmering, boil, drain and rinse noodles.

Add to sauce, combine and serve.

May be topped with Parmesan cheese.

**Note: Feel free to add more veggies if you like, my Mom always puts corn in hers.  Use your imagination.  Can be cut in half easily.  I have a big family, so I cook big!

Tuna Tetrazzini Casserole

I know, I know... Tuna Noodles is probably one of the easiest things in the world to make, right?

Well, it seems that every time I think I shouldn't blog about something that seems to boring or simple, I am surprised at the response it gets.

When my kids were little and they asked what was for dinner, and I answered Tuna Casserole, they always asked "Where are you going tonight?" 

It is my usual fall back for making something ahead that is easy, everyone loves, and I can put it in the oven and skedaddle out the door!

So, when they ask, and I am at home they are surprised.

Nice to keep them on their toes.

This is one meal where there is rarely ever leftovers.

My kids (and hubby) LOVE it.

Not sure how you make yours, but this is how I make mine! 

Tuna Tetrazzini Casserole

12 oz Macaroni or other pasta.

4 oz can of mushrooms (I usually use two because we love our 'shrooms around here!)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1- 7 oz can albacore tuna, drained

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

(about) 2 cups crushed potato chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and prepare your casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Cook pasta, drain and rinse.

Combine pasta with all of the ingredients, except chips.

Pour into casserole dish, and top with potato chips.

Bake for 30 minutes uncovered.

*If you like peas or black olives either are GREAT in this.  We are a family divided on these, so I omit them.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Pad Thai Wonder Pot

A couple of weeks ago I tried a dish that I had been wanting to for some time now called 

The Italian Wonder Pot.

Ever see the commercials for V8?

The ones where they smack themselves in the head?

That's how I felt after I had made this so simple, so delicious meal for the first time!

WHY?!?!?

Why, had I waited SO LONG?!?!

Well, it only got me to thinking more and more about how to switch it up, how to make other versions.  

I looked on Pinterest, and on google to see what I could see and both of them made me thinking 

THAI!

I found this original recipe for One Pot Wonder Thai Peanut Pasta at apronstringsblog.com

Then after I looked a bit, I found another blogger, Hungry Hannah, that switched up this same recipe and made it her own, she called it Easy One-Pot Pad Thai.  I pretty much looked at both of them, and used a little of each.

You don't need to add meat to this at all, but I love shrimp in my pad Thai, so I went that route.
You could also add chicken if you wanted, or just leave it the way it is!

Shrimp Pad Thai Wonder Pot

12 ounces linguine pasta

32 ounces of chicken stock (or vegetable)

1 medium sized onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

1 red bell pepper, sliced (about 1- 1 1/2 cups)

1 1/2 cups matchstick carrots (I bought a bag of already shredded carrots, worked great!)

1 Tablespoon ginger paste, or the same fresh grated

tops of 3 green onions (shallots), divided

1 1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts, slightly chopped, divided

1 pound shrimp, cleaned, optional

1 cup cilantro, slightly chopped, divided

1/2- 1 cup bean sprouts

2 Tablespoons soy sauce

2 Tablespoons Peanut Butter

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if your prefer it spicier) 

1 1/2 Tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons red curry paste

2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice

Fresh lime, sliced for serving

In a large pot, pour water and chicken stock.

To this add the following: pasta, onion, garlic, bell pepper,  carrots,  3/4 of both shallots and cilantro, (reserve some for serving) 1 cup of peanuts, (reserve rest for serving) soy sauce, peanut butter, red pepper flakes, honey, sesame oil, curry paste and lime juice.

Place lid on pot and turn on high.  Let it come to a boil, give it a stir, and reduce to a simmer.

Cover and cook for about 6 minutes.

(stir every couple minutes, so nothing sticks.)

Dump in shrimp and bean sprouts, stir and cover, let it cook for about 6 minutes more, until shrimp are steamed, and pasta is cooked.

There will be a small amount of sauce in the bottom.

Serve topped with remaining shallots, cilantro and peanuts, with a lime slice to squeeze if desired.

If you are adding chicken, you would most likely want to add it at the beginning to make sure it's cooked properly.  I have not tried it with chicken, but if I do, I will amend this recipe.

Enjoy!


Shared at Marvelous Monday Link Up at Cooking on the Front Burner

The Italian Wonder Pot

It's got to be too good to be true, right?

Right?

You add uncooked pasta to some fresh and some canned ingredients, 

throw some spices in, stick the lid on

and in 20 minutes, you have dinner?

It's got to be too good to be true.

But it's NOT!!

I see things like this on Pinterest, and I am skeptical.

Then I hear that people try them and they WORK!!

Well, I wanna try too!!!!

(insert whiny 3 year old voice here)

 So I DID!!

and holy pasta batman!

IT WORKED!

This was AMAZING.

We LOVED it!!

This has been all over Pinterest, and from what I can gather, it originated as a Martha Stewart recipe.  If I got that wrong, someone correct me, because I want to give credit where credit is due on this fast, easy and delicious meal! It seems everyone changes it up just a smidgen to their own liking.

I loved how it turned out, but next time, I will add artichokes!

Italian Wonder Pot

1 - 12 ounce box of pasta, I used spaghetti, broken in half to fit in pot better

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2-3 cups fresh spinach slightly chopped

1 medium sized onion, sliced

32 ounces of broth, I used chicken broth or you can use vegetable

2 - 14.5 ounces cans diced tomatoes, (NOT drained)

1/2 Tablespoon dried basil, or fresh

1/2 Tablespoon dried oregano

4 cloves minced garlic

1/4-1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients in your pot.

Make sure to give it a stir so the liquid covers the pasta and veggies.

Place a lid on your pot and cook, on your stove, on high until it begins a rapid boil.

Uncover and turn flame to medium.

Continue cooking for 15 minutes more, pasta will absorb the liquid.

Stir occasionally so pasta doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan.

DO NOT DRAIN.

Serve, top it with a little fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Pasta Salad

Okay, so I am going to preface this blogpost with this, 

If you have followed me and cooked/baked from my recipes, 

chances are you might have made 

"the very last banana bread recipe you will ever need"

or

"Grandma Davis' Sugar Cookies"

Seriously, folks, this woman knows her stuff.

A couple of weeks ago my family attended the graduation party of my friend, Tonja's son.

My kids were each on their second helping of this pasta salad and "mmmming" with every bite.

When I asked Tonja what was in it, she giggled and told me the two "secret ingredients" that I will share with you in a second.

She then told me that her Mom had made it, but that it was Grandma Davis' recipe.

I was sold.

So, I decided to whip it up for our Memorial Day cookout.

Please don't  let the main secret ingredient detour you from making this wonderful salad!!  It is SO GOOD!!

Here are the two things that her family claims makes this salad what it is:

Spam and Dill Pickle Juice!

Tonja told me that her Grandma uses her own homemade pickle juice, but that the pickle juice doesn't change the flavor as much as leaving out the Spam.  She has tried it with ham and it "just isn't the same."

I ate Spam as a kid, but in my 20+ years of married life I don't ever remember buying it?

This salad is AH-Mazing!  You just have to try it!

My nieces

and nephews fought over the leftovers.

my plate from the cookout...SWOON!

When I called Tonja for the recipe she said "there isn't one, mix it up til it tastes right."

I had only eaten it once, so that made things a little tough.

She hung on the phone with me, like the good old days, and we worked through it to develop this recipe to share with you!

Below is the "recipe" we came up with!

Grandma Davis' Pasta Salad

15 ounces of mayonnaise, (Hellmans is her first choice, I used the light)

1/4 cup dill pickle juice

milk to thin sauce (optional, I didn't use it)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

8 ounces (more if you like) frozen peas

1 cucumber, diced (I left skins on mine)

red onion, chopped, to taste

2-3 Roma tomatoes, diced

1 can Spam, diced

cubed American cheese (optional, I didn't use it)

1 package of small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

Boil pasta, drain and set aside. Combine ingredients for the sauce. I didn't feel like I needed the milk in mine, I liked the creamy texture of the mayo and pickle juice, set this aside.

Chop all of the veggies and Spam, cheese if you desire.

Toss pasta and chopped ingredients in a large bowl, cover with sauce, and coat.

I made this a day early, the flavors had a chance to marry together nicely that way!

It was a BIG Hit!!

Creamy Baked Chicken Pasta with Bacon

Don't cha just hate when you can't decide what to make for dinner??

Well, Spring can't decide if it's coming or going here in Nebraska, and it's COLD.

We have gone from 70's and sun, to severe thunderstorms, to hail...and blizzards.

The saying "If you don't like the weather in Nebraska, wait 5 minutes and it'll change" 

is SO TRUE!!

Needless to say, I have been sticking pretty close to home the last couple of days.

I didn't want to go anywhere to pick anything up, I just wanted to make something with what I had.

I told the kids I should name this "everything but the kitchen sink pasta."

Actually, some of my kids favorite meals are ones I make up.

This will be one of them.

hot out of the oven

Creamy Chicken Pasta with Bacon

4-6 chicken breasts

1 pound pasta, cooked

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 cup garden vegetable cream cheese

2/3 cup real bacon pieces

4-6 slices of provolone cheese

1/2 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups water

olive oil

paprika

sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.

Cook your pasta.  I used penne but that is what I had on hand.  You can use what you choose.

In a large skillet pour a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and place chicken breasts, sprinkled with a little salt and paprika in to brown.  It took mine about 15 minutes.

Remove chicken, set aside.  

To dripping in the pan, add onion, garlic and bacon to the drippings, over medium heat saute until onions become fragrant and translucent.  About 5 minutes.

Add cream cheese, soup and water and stir until combined.

Place cooked pasta in the bottom of your baking dish,

Place chicken over the top of the pasta.

Place a slice of cheese over every piece of chicken, and pour sauce over the top.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes.

Lasagna Soup

lasagna soup



My friend Candi, over at The Devilish Dish is an amazing cook!!

Anytime she posts a recipe I know I will like it.

(so far she hasn't posted anything with liver or brussel sprouts....)

When she posted this one back in the Fall, I knew I would have to try it.

My family LOVES Pasta and we LOVE soup, so it was a win-win situation!

Candi and I have been friends for a long time.  Almost 15 years. She and I have so much in common, I swear God knew we needed to be friends and put her in that Scrapbooking class I was teaching back in 1997!

One thing that we have in common, we are both a little bit of a rebel.

It's okay. We were raised on Hair Band 80's music --- so it goes with the territory right?

we love our hair band concerts!! (and on those days...Aqua Net!!)

Well, being the rebel I am, I didn't EXACTLY follow her recipe.

That and the fact that I had already been to the store 3 days in a row and managed to STILL not have everything that I needed.

So, I add-libbed.

And because she's my friend, and I know that's JUST how she cooks... tweaking and making it her own, I know that she will understand.

For her recipe click here:

The Devilish Dish's Lasagna Soup

Lasagna Soup

2 lbs ground beef

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 14.5 oz cans of petite diced tomatoes (with juice)

1 - 16 oz jar of spaghetti sauce (I like to use Marinara)

4 tsp chicken bouillon (or 4 cubes)

4 tsp beef bouillon

6 cups of water

2 tsp of Italian spice

1/2 thyme

1 bay leaf

1/2 box lasagna noodles, broken into pieces

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

ricotta (optional)

 shredded mozzarella cheese

In a soup pot over medium heat brown your ground beef with onion and garlic.  Salt and Pepper to taste.

Drain grease.  To the ground beef mixture add the tomatoes, spaghetti sauce, bouillon, water and spices and seasonings. Bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.

Stir in broken lasagna noodles and cook until they are tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Remove bay leaf.  Add Parmesan cheese to soup about 5 minutes before serving and stir in.

Ladle into bowls and top with ricotta and mozzarella cheese.

My notes: We are not fans of ricotta cheese at my house.  When I make regular lasagna, I use cottage cheese.  So I added this to the ingredients, but we didn't use it.  It tasted AMAZING with just the shredded cheese. I actually bought shredded Italian blend cheese.

When you make lasagna, there are always a couple of broken noodles in the box it seems. I always have a couple of extra, too. When I do, I throw them in a Ziploc bag and keep adding to them, then I'm ready for a quick batch of lasagna soup!  That's one other thing about this soup, it's one of those that most likely the ingredients are in your pantry right now!  Like most soups, this recipe works well in the crock pot, After browning your meat, dump it all in the crock pot and let it cook on low all day. Add Parmesan cheese about 10 minutes before your serve.

Shrimp and Crab Pasta with Apple Dumplings for Dessert

the table is set

So, you may have heard, that yesterday, my husband and I celebrated our 20th Wedding anniversary. 

It is so hard to believe that we have been married THAT long.  

Just goes to show you that life goes by in an instant, doesn't it?

here we were 20 years ago

We actually went out for a special dinner over the past weekend.  When you have four kids and a special date falls during the week, you make the best of it!  

So, on the actual date we celebrated at home with our kids.

I made one of our family's most requested meals.

It looks very pretty, and it's actually really quick to make.

shrimp and crab pasta

Like many things that I make, I just shake stuff in there until it tastes good.  But yesterday I measured and wrote down what I actually used, here is the recipe:

Shrimp and Crab Pasta

3-4 T. Olive oil

2 t. Mrs. Dash Tomato, Basil and Garlic

1 stick of butter, divided

1- 14oz size can of diced tomatoes

1 clove garlic, minced

sea salt to taste

1/2 cup onion, diced a little large

12 oz of cooked and tail removed shrimp

8 oz of imitation crab meat (or the real thing if you are lucky to have that close to you!!)

1 1/2 boxes of thick spaghetti (or other pasta choice)

fresh Parmesan cheese

Boil your pasta and drain it, set aside. 

In a skillet, add 3 T of olive oil, 1/2 stick of butter, Mrs. Dash and garlic. On a medium heat, melt butter and spices together.  Add to this your shrimp, your crab and onion.  Saute for about 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes, juice and all. Sprinkle with sea salt to taste. Warm through.  Add pasta and remaining butter, toss.  When butter is melted and pasta is warm, place in a pasta bowl and top with fresh Parmesan cheese.

For dessert I tried a recipe I saw online last week from The Country Cook. The recipe was for Apple Dumplings.  Holy cow were they simple, and yummy!! 

 I served them with a cinnamon apple dumpling ice cream.  

They were a treat!

the country cook's apple dumplings - RECIPE HERE

So, time flies by, so enjoy what you do every day, or at least try to.  Spend it with the ones that you love and some good food, and life will be good.

here we are today

thought I would share my gorgeous roses I received yesterday

Pasta Pomodoro

I don't know about you, but where I live, the tomatoes are just WONDERFUL this year! I know it's been hot, but I have still been super blessed to get a huge crop of "maters this year.  Er...well, when I say "I,"  I actually mean,  "my Mom" has!! She is such a sweetheart, she shares with me on a regular basis, but she also decided to take a trip to the East coast to see my Aunt, and asked me to "check her plants" for her while she was gone.  They are weighed down with GORGEOUS tomatoes!! (so many, I even left her a whole bunch! ;)

Now, I am really not much of a caner.  But I can eat fresh tomatoes until I have sores in my mouth! So this week, I have been eating them like crazy!! Tonight for dinner I made a really easy dish, and  thought that I would share with you. I love "naked pasta," it's my favorite. toss it in some garlic, basil and olive oil, maybe some butter, and I am a happy camper.  So, tonight, that's just how I prepared the spaghetti noodles, but I made a pomodoro tomato topping for with it.

pomodoro pasta

I am going to tell you the EASY way to do this, and if you don't want to let the secret out, find a labor intensive recipe and fib!! ;)

I found this stuff in the spice aisle made by McCormick, called "Perfect Pinch." I believe it's their version of a Mrs. Dash? Any who... they have a basil and garlic flavor. All I did was about 90 minutes before I cooked the pasta, I diced up fresh tomatoes, and sprinkled that spice with a little sea salt (both of them to taste) added a little bit of olive oil and put it in the fridge. The longer it sits, the more flavor it will have. 

After you cook your pasta, drain it and rinse it.  To it add butter or Olive oil or a little of both, a little garlic and basil and toss it. Place the warm pasta on the plate and top it with the chilled pomodoro tomatoes. (it tastes good with the tomatoes warm, too!)

I served it with an Italian crusty bread, it was so good.  It's a great summer, or anytime really dinner.

Also, it's a perfect meatless pasta dish.

Tortellini with Pesto Salad....Looks Fancy.... but Shhhhh! Only 3 Ingredients!! ;)

Need a quick and easy salad for a picnic this weekend? Want to look like you made something gourmet? This recipe looks fancy and yet... only two ingredients...three if you sprinkle cheese on top!

tortellini with pesto

All you need are two or three ingredients! I love to buy the pasta in the refrigerated section.  It, to me, tastes so much fresher. I buy Buitoni Brand. I like the package that has the regular pasta noodles as well as the spinach ones.  The three cheese are yummy! Then they have a ready made pesto.  (This also ROCKS on homemade pizza!!)

and

Cook the pasta like the package directions tell you, and then spoon on the pesto.  It's really to your liking, use as much or as little as your taste buds demand! Sprinkle with some fresh Parmesan cheese and Viola! Tortellini Pesto Salad!

I also make this hot, and serve it as a quick easy side for dinner! Hint...left over salad? Add a little olive oil and zap it in the microwave... Instant side... add a little grilled chicken and it's dinner!

Enjoy!!