Childhood Memories

When I was a kid if we had speghetti one night the next night we would have fried noodles and eggs. Sounds different but it is so good!!!

You take your leftover cooked speghetti noodles put them in a frying pan with a little oil and butter at med heat. You don’t touch the noodles until the edges start to turn brown and crunchy and then you flip them over and so the same with the other side. Then you serve them with a fried egg on the side.

Sounds different but it is so good and brings back fond memories!

Corn on the Cobb with a twist

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Butter:
1 red bell pepper
1 pound salted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup basil leaves
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Corn:
4 ears corn, husked

Roast the red peppers whole over a gas or charcoal flame, or under a broiler, turning every few minutes until entirely blackened. Immediately place in a paper bag. Seal bag and let sit for 3 minutes. Peel off the charred skin and discard. Slice the peeled peppers open and discard the membranes and seeds.

In a food processor, puree the bell peppers, butter, basil, lemon juice, and pepper.

Transfer to a loaf pan that is lined with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour, or until butter hardens. To serve, remove from plastic wrap. Use leftover butter on fish, veggies, bread, etc.

In a large pot, bring 8 cups of water to a boil. Add corn and boil for 6 minutes. Serve with roasted red bell pepper butter.

Smoothies!!!!

Everyday at 3:00 it’s smoothie time at my house. I love making smoothies and it’s a great snack to get me through the late afternoon temptations!The Magic Bullet is my favorite kitchen appliance and well worth the price!

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup yogurt (I usually use strawberry)
• 1 cup frozen fruit (I like strawberries and a little pineapple)

Blend a lot! If it’s not blending try adding more milk. It’s pretty low calories if you use lite yogurt and it’s so good!

Salsa Chicken – Yum!

I found this recipe while searching allrecipes.com. I like recipes that are easy and use common ingredients that I already have in the kitchen. This one fits the bill and it tastes REALLY good.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 tbspns taco seasoning
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup shredded cheese

Coat each side of the chicken breast with taco seasoning. Place in 9×13 pan. cover with salsa. Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes. Add shredded cheese and bake for 3-5 minutes. Done! Add sour cream if desired.

This was really good with some spanish rich as the side dish and chips and salsa. So easy and flavorful!

Broccoli Salad

This is a great salad to take to any bbq. People will ask you for the recipe and there won’t be any leftovers! The key to this recipe is the Apple Cider Vinegar.

• 3 heads fresh broccoli (cut up)
• 1 lb bacon (cooked and crumbled to small pieces)
• 1 cup sharp cheese shredded
• 1 1/2 cups mayo
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Mix everything together except the bacon and cheese and refridgerate for 3-4 hours. Add bacon and cheese right before serving. Yum!

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

This is a simpe and easy dip to take to any pot luck or summer BBQ. For the garlic I use the frozen cubes from Trader Joes. It’s a great time saver! Use crackers or bread for dipping.

To read reviews of this recipe from allrecipes.com click here.

INGREDIENTS

4 cloves garlic (or 4 frozen garlic cubes)

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

DIRECTIONS 

In an 8×8 inch baking dish, spread the garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.