Rice Krispy Treats

Yeah, you all probably make this one all the time, but my kids are home and it was easy!

Rice Treats
3 tbls butter
4 cups mini marshmallows or 10 oz bag
6 cups rice Krispies
dash of salt

Melt butter in a large saute. Add marshmallows and salt. Stir until melted. Add cereal. Pour onto greased cookie sheet and press flat with greased hands.

Chocolate drizzle
1 cup chocolate chips
4 tbls butter
Melt in microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Add additional 15 seconds until melted. Pour into squeeze bottle. Place bottle in hot water while using to keep fluid.

Chicken Soup for the Soul

Whenever I want to feel warm and cozy...this soup makes it's way to my table. I serve it with homemade bread or baking powder biscuits.

Chicken Soup
2 Tbls butter
1 medium onion diced
1 large carrot chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
Option 1: 16 cups of chicken stock with 1 can of chicken from Costco
Option 2: 16 cups water with Costco chicken base...4 tbls and 1 can of chicken from Costco
Option 3: 16 cups chicken stock(made by boiling down a leftover roasted chicken...from Costco)with chicken pieces
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 garlic cloves minced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp of thyme
Saute onion, garlic, celery and carrot in the butter until tender. Add salt and pepper. Add an Option of your choice... Add bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil. Salt and pepper to taste. At this point add 1/2 to 3/4 pound of flat or egg noodles. Boil until tender.

Alfredo

Ok, this one is for Aimee! I also used the focaccia recipe for bread sticks and a nice green salad to round out the meal.
If you just want a plain sauce, omit bacon and add 2 tbls butter. Increase the parmesan to 1/2 cup and don't add the peas. This is a great dipping sauce for breadsticks and a good white sauce for pizza as well.
"Alfredo"
1/4 pound of bacon cut into small pieces
2 tbls butter
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup minced onion
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 cups of milk
1 to 1 1/2 cups of cream
2 tsp salt
2 handfuls of frozen peas or 1/3 cup
In large saute pan, fry pieces of bacon until crispy (you can omit this step and just use Costco bacon bits...1/4 cup and add 2 more tbls butter.) Remove bacon and keep grease in pan. To that add the butter. Saute garlic and onion until tender. Add the flour and combine. When bubbly, add milk. Stir constantly with a wisk (I like the pampered chef sauce wisk) until thickened. Add cheese. When melted, add cream. When it begins to bubble again, add peas and bacon back in. Add salt last (I would do a half a tsp at a time to compensate for super salty bacon or butter.) This recipe makes enough for a good 16 oz to 20oz package of pasta. Enjoy!

Fruit of the Vine

Tomatoes are definitely a fruit! I can't get enough of these heirloom brandywines! They are huge, sweet, and melt in your mouth. I have done so much with them...but I will give you my recipe for Roasted Tomato Sauce


Quarter about 6 lbs of tomatoes (or cut smaller if you like.) Slice one red or yellow onion. Peel 4 garlic cloves. Place on bar pan or cookie sheet with a lip. Drizzle with olive oil and Kosher salt. Place in a 350 degree oven for about an hour or until skins are golden and some onions are a little charred. Let cool enough to handle. Put vegetables and a handful of fresh basil in food processor or blender and blend until smooth...or chunky(whichever you like.) One full cookie sheet makes 2 pints of sauce. I freeze mine. It's a great base for tomato soup or any dish that calls for tomato sauce.

Red Pepper Soup

Ok, so I am sick, but I had to stay warm today...so I cooked all day. The grape juice got done. My house smells like a winery. I made the Spaghetti sauce for the previous recipe. I made Shepard's Pie for dinner with beans from my garden and a wonderful roasted tomato sauce that is too die for...and I made a batch of Red Pepper soup before the peppers went bad. I am not a penny pincher by any stretch of the imagination, but I hate to see something go to waste. It's painful to me. So I made some creamy soup

Red Pepper Soup
3 to 4 red peppers, cored, seeded and chopped
1 onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 T butter
Saute above vegetables with the butter for 5 to 10 minutes or until tender.
24 oz of Chicken broth
1/2 cup of cream
dash of cayenne pepper
Add broth and vegetables together and simmer for 30 min. Use immersion blender or regular blender to puree mixture. Return to pan and add cream and cayenne. Heat another 5 min or until heated through. Serve with a dollop of Sour Cream. Makes 4 servings.

"The Summer Sauce"

This is straight from Rachel Short...thanks a ton. I have so much produce to get rid of!

Summer Bounty Spaghetti Sauce
1 sliced zucchini
1 sliced yellow squash
1 sliced white or yellow onion
4 cloves garlic, finely diced
Saute veggies in 2T olive oil and then add one pound of browned and drained Italian Sausage.
Add I large can crushed tomatoes and 1 can diced tomatoes. Add 2T balsamic vinegar and 2T sugar.
Mix well, cover and simmer for about 15 min.

I think I am going to make a bunch and freeze it. I will use tomatoes out of my garden and she used
Angel hair pasta or Thin spaghetti. This is a chunky delight!

Skillet Potatoes

Nothing original about Monday, Hot Dogs and French Fries. I had to use them up, before they went bad in the fridge. Tuesday is dine and dash day. Hurrying home from piano, I concocted a menu plan and ended up making Waffles, Sausage and Potatoes. Breakfast is so great when you only have a few minutes... The potatoes were washed and cubed. 1/2 chopped onion and 1/2 chopped green pepper were added to a hot pan with a few tbls of oil. Salt and Pepper to taste. They take about 10 minutes to cook. Of course Patrick picked all the "green thingies" out but that is his problem. It tastes fabulous and fresh.