Homemade Stocking Stuffer – Chocolate Craisin Bark
December 12, 2008 - Written by DianaI haven’t started my treatmaking, so no pics yet. I make this treat every year and everyone loves loves loves it. It’s the number one requested item and so simple to make. This is one of the first things my kids ask for in their Christmas stockings.
Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler. I usually make it half milk and half semi sweet or dark, so it’s not too sweet and not too bitter. You can also substitute white instead of milk and dark chocolate if you prefer. If you use larger pieces of chocolate, cut them down in size so that it all melts evenly. You can use a microwave to melt the chocolate. Put the chocolate into a microwave safe bowl and for a minute at time melt and stir the chocolate until it’s completely melted. Empty Craisins into a bowl, pour the melted chocolate over top and stir together, blending well. Pour this mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator until it looks like a big solid bar. Break this bark into pieces, put into small gift bags with a bow.
Orange Craisin works …
Holiday Cooking: Mama Lucia’s Meatballs Italian Style Meatballs
October 28, 2008 - Written by Diana
When I’m spending days making salsa, sometimes other cooking is neglected. My poor 6’2″ son and my husband would starve if I didn’t have frozen stuff waiting in the wings. Meatballs are one of my favorite staples. They’re quick, delicious, filling and hearty. This weekend when I was up to my elbows in salsa making I knew I had to do something fast and easy, in the microwave for our dinner that wouldn’t get in the way of my work. Well, I took some leftover penne pasta and sauce, threw in some Mama Lucia meatballs and cheese and microwaved it. It was the perfect meal since we really didn’t want to stop chopping. The next morning my son woke up starving, because he went to a party and was too late for the pizza that had been served. Before I could make the eggs, he grabbed a bowl of cold leftovers from our quickly thrown together meal and ate it cold (not my favorite way, but hey it worked for him). Then later he heated up another bowl for lunch. I’m serious they love the stuff.
For Thanksgiving or other big family meals, I take frozen meatballs and put it in a crockpot with onions and peppers, and sauce. People munch on it all night long. It’s such a treat and since we travel a couple of hours to visit family, it’s an easy set up. Mama Lucia’s meatballs are just perfect for any gathering.
Diana’s Famous Meatballs in a Crockpot
- 1 box of Mama Lucia’s Italian Style Meatballs
- 1/2 jar spaghetti sauce (more if you like it that way)
- 1 can tomato paste
- 1 can diced tomatoes with basil
- 1 sweet onion cut up into thin strips
- 2 green peppers cut up into thin strips
- Fresh Basil
- Mozzarella Cheese
Orzo Minestrone
October 24, 2008 - Written by Diana
Time to use up some of those vegetables. It’s starting to frost outside, so a good warm soup for dinner is a nice thing. I used carrots, celery, parsley and swiss chard from my garden. Instead of bigger pastas, I used Orzo which is more rice sized. This soup was a quick easy and delicious way to end a work day.
Ingredients:
- Olive Oil
- 1 Onion
- 1 carrot (or two small)
- Celery
- Bunch of Swiss Chard
- Handful of Parsley
- Chicken broth (or bouillon with water)
- Can of Tomatoes
- Salt
- Garlic pepper
Directions:
Dice and saute the first four ingredients together. When they seem soft add chopped up swiss chard and a little chicken broth. In a soup pot, heat up the chicken broth, plus canned tomatoes. Chop up parsley leaves and drop into the broth and tomatoes. Put …
Dorm Recipes
August 10, 2008 - Written by Diana
Here are a few easy recipes you can throw together.
They aren’t elaborate because you don’t have the room or equipment for elaborate.
- Ramen Noodles – Break noodles up into bowl, just cover with water, microwave on high 3 minutes. For something a little more substantial add chicken (canned or frozen) and some peas.
- Biscuit in a cup – 1 cup of biscuit mix, 1/3 cup of milk, microwave on high from one to two minutes. For variety, you can add some cheese or microwave leftover gravy and sausage you brought from home to pour over the cooked biscuit .
Bean salads: healthy fast food
August 6, 2008 - Written by RobinThis took me all of five minutes to make!
I ate this with a toasted whole wheat roll, avocado slices and some fresh corn on the cob. Bean salad is great when it’s 90 degrees out and you want something super easy to prepare. You could also stuff it in a pita and have it for lunch. It’s also a great side dish for a more ambitious meal.
I used:
1 can or drained and rinsed cannellini beans (2 cups cooked dried beans if you like)
1 TBL olive oil
1 TBL balsamic vinegar
2 cloves minced garlic (use one if you’re not a garlic addict like me)
1/2 of a small vidalia onion, finely chopped
seasoning to taste: Mrs. Dash Italian Blend, kosher salt, and shredded fresh basil or whatever you feel like. Parmesan cheese is also optional.
To prepare, stir everything in a bowl and serve. You can even serve it in the mixing bowl (as I clearly did!)
Cold Chicken and Couscous Salad
June 14, 2008 - Written by DianaIt’s been a little warm, so I wanted a salad or something cool to eat rather than a hot meal. I decided to try a cold couscous salad, and I made a green salad to go with it. We have plenty of salad greens and herbs growing right now. Plus it’s pea pickin’ time around here. I like to make my meals based on what’s available. In the summer it will depend on what’s ripe or ready to use after I’ve visited the garden and brought some fresh things inside.
Best Fast Side Dish
June 11, 2008 - Written by DianaSchool is over for this year for us. The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activities. One event was the track potluck. It’s right after practice, parents can come, and you are assigned something to bring. I work 40 minutes from the school and home, so I stopped at the store and picked up some cutup fruit. It’s always a big hit, and I didn’t have to worry about how to keep it fresh while I was at work. However, the best thing I saw there was a really fast salad that one girl put together in less than 5 minutes.
Making pizza at home
April 7, 2008 - Written by Robin
When I was in college, a small investment saved me hundreds of dollars in my take-out budget. I figured out how I could stiff the pizza parlor by making delicious pizza at home. I had stumbled upon the baker’s secret weapon: the baking stone.
White Bean & Kielbasa soup
March 6, 2008 - Written by DianaThis soup is a family favorite. It’s a chunky soup with lots of flavor. I usually make a double batch and refrigerate or freeze half for another day.
Olive Oil
1 clove garlic
1 cup chopped onion (about 1 med)
1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)
2 cans navy beans
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes
3/4 lb Kielbasa
thyme
bay leaf
minced parsley
rubbed sage
basil
