My most beautiful sight

My Brooke could be described as a perfectionist, hard worker, honest, loves animals, gets awesome grades, kind, can nail impressions. She is someone who has a strong powerful singing voice, loves to make movies & read!
My Ryan is empathetic, artistic, athletic, bursting with personality, a math wiz, has a smile to light up the world! He is the hardest working athlete on the football team and isn't afraid to kiss his Mom in public!
I am such a lucky Mom to have such great kids. Thank you Lord! Blessed, BLESSED!

Stuffed Shells & corn/cherry tomato side dish

This is a VERY simple dinner, everyone seems to love. Great for if your kids have friends, they also love it.

Boil Stuffing shells in water with a little salt till al dente. Drain & let cool. In bowl add: 1 container ricotta cheese, 1 egg, 1 package shredded Italian cheese. Then in food processor, add 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 onion, a few leaves of spinach & a few leaves of basil. Add this mixture to the bowl & salt & pepper to taste, stir all ingredients together. Spray rectangular baker with cooking spray & put marinara sauce of your choice on botton of pan to cover entire bottom with thin layer. Stuff all shells with cheese mixture. Top with some more sauce & shredded parmesan cheese. Bake 350 degrees, 1/2 hour.

Cheese Mixture:

Before being cooked:

After being cooked:

For delicious side dish, I make corn/tomato saute, salad & garlic bread.

For corn/tomato side dish, cut cherry tomatoes in half, as many as you desire, dice some shallots. Saute shallots in butter, season with salt/pepper. Add corn (1 bag frozen), a tsp of sugar. Cook a few minutes over medium heat. Add the tomatoes & cook until tender. You can also add torn basil leaves, fresh rosemary, whatever you're in the mood for to season additionally. Even balsamic vinegar if you wish. This is the dish:

Simple easy dinner, everyone loves!

Bacon Wrapped sausages

Easy appetizer always goes quickly!

Bacon
toothpicks
mini sausages
brown sugar
plastic bag

Wrap 1/2 strip of bacon over mini sausage & secure with a toothpick. Do this for all sausages & put in large plastic bag. Put Brown sugar (about 1/2 cup) into plastic bag & gently tip upside down to coat all bacon covered sausages. Cook 350 degrees about 30 minutes, turning half way through.

This is why you need to spay/neuter your dog(s)

This is a dog that was dumped at a shelter after living with someone for a year. He was dumped in a high kill shelter, no less! For days, he wouldn't look at any of the shelter staff, wouldn't eat, stared out the window for his owners to come back & get him, which of course they never did. Please spread the word "don't breed or buy while shelter pets die"! There are thousands of perfectly healthy animals, even puppies euthanized every day! 3 to 4 MILLION a year, 57% of shelter dogs in this country are euthanized!!! There are many no kill shelters or rescue groups who save these animals, but many aren't saved. 70% of large breed dogs are euthanized. :( It's so simple, please make sure you buy from a shelter, not a pet store, and spay your pets! Thanks so much. I'm a huge dog lover, have to spread the word. Here's the darling I was talking about. People are so heartless. :(

There are many, many more like him. Luckily, I think these 2 dogs now have foster homes (saved from death) & hopefully will be adopted & loved the rest of their lives. There are many, many people in the country trying to save dogs on death row; rescues, volunteers, transporters, fosters, crossposters (people who post dogs in need on facebook). Because of these caring people giving of their own time & resources, these 2 dogs had a lot of attention & are now safe. There are many, many more still in danger.

Here are a few rescues or shelters that are in dire need:

https://www.facebook.com/MuttsMatterRescue?ref=ts

https://www.facebook.com/angelsrescue

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Hearts-For-Hounds/10150102121395193

https://www.facebook.com/seprr

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1472970019065.2063199.1078095162&type=3

Some sobering statistics:
https://www.facebook.com/FriendsofAltusPaws

If you love dogs, please do what you can to help. They're man's best friend & they need our help!

Being goofy with my stepdaughters

Beer Bread Recipe

Made this simple beer bread tonight & it went perfectly with the sausage soup & cabbage soup I made. I had to make both a meat and a vegetarian soup to satisfy both the meat eaters & vegetarians! ha ha! Stay tuned for the sausage soup recipe, my step kids request it, they love it, one of their favs & perfect for a cold winter night.

Beer Bread:

3 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 can/bottle beer
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT butter & stir. Put into greased loaf pan & pour melted butter over top. Bake 1 hour. If you don't want a crunchy, buttery crust, stir the butter into the mix instead of pouring over the top! How simple is that? The smell is amazing!

Jessie Rees...While fighting Brain Cancer at 12, she cared For Others Fighting Too

This little girl was 12 years old when diagnosed with brain cancer. During her fight, she concentrated on helping other sick kids, making them joy jars. Jars with little treats in them to brighten a sick child's day & let them know they are not forgotten. She lost her battle recently, but what an inspiration, only 12 years old, moving mountains, always smiling. We can also choose when faced with hardships, like her Dad said we can "be bitter, or be better". God Bless you Jessie & your family. R.I.P. Your life meant something, you were very special.



Link to the Negu Foundations, the foundation Jessie started. Negu meaning Never, Ever Give Up!

To visit the Negu Foundation, Click here

spring flowers to brighten your winter day ~

Taken just before a big storm rolled in.

A little cozy corner

Fried Ravioli

This dish is so yummy! It's great as an appetizer, or could be served on a salad. Mmmmm...My husband LOVES these! I got the recipe idea from Giada DeLaurentis, and tweaked it a little to add more flavor. Hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
One dish: Buttermilk 1 cup & 2 eggs beaten, mix together.Put the ravioli in the egg mixture first & turn to wet both sides.
Dish Two: Bread crumbs, salt & pepper to season, parmesan cheese to season, old bay seasoning also to taste. You can add other seasoningss of your choice. Put the ravioli in this breadcrumb mixture next & coat ravioli on both sides, then put in pan to fry.

Pan for frying has vegetable oil mixed with some garlic infused olive oil! The garlic infused oil adds another layer of flavor. Heat the oil until it's hot, add ravioli & flip to cook other side when you see edges getting browned. They can burn quickly, so keep keep your eyes open, you have to move fast during this part!

Put Fried ravioli on paper towels to blot oil, then put in serving dish/bowl & sprinkle with fresh shaved parmesan cheese. Serve with marinara sauce (I add a little sriracha hot sauce to spice it up a bit).

Enjoy~

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 (8oz.) Cream Cheese
1 (8oz.) Shredded cheddar cheese
1 can chicken
1 cup Ranch dressing
1/2 - 1 cup franks hot sauce (I like to use 1/2 cup regular, 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce)

Put all ingredients in crock pot & cook until creamy & hot, or 350 degree oven for 1/2 hour. Serve with tortilla chips.

Spagetti & Meatballs

Simple, everyone has their own recipe. Sharing mine in case you'd like to try it! I get a lot of compliments on the meatballs.

Step 1:
2 lbs. ground sirloin put in bowl, add 2 eggs & season with salt & pepper. Add fresh parmesan and/or Romano shaved cheese - about 1 cup. Soak 2 pieces of white bread (without crust) in milk & add to meat mixture. Blend in food processor: 1/2 onion, several basil leaves, 3 cloves of garlic & olive oil to moisten. Blend & add on top of meat mixture. Add about a cup of seasoned bread crumbs. Mix the ingredients together & add more bread crumbs if too moist.

After mixed together:

Roll into golf ball sized balls & put on greased cookie sheet:

Cook 350 degree oven about 1/2 hour, turning half way through:

* NOTE: You can cook in sauce, but we don't since 1/2 of us are vegetarians. (:
Serve with homemade sauce, spagetti (I used 1 box whole wheat, 1 box semolina), salad & garlic bread:

Mangia!

Pancetta Wrapped Pork Loin & Rosemary bread salad

My rosemary plant, great for cooking!

Blend a few cloves of garlic, rosemary, basil, olive oil in food processor for pork rub

This is what it looks like:

Cut up Carrots & Parsnips, Salt & pepper both sides of Pork Loin & Rub Rosemary/garlic mixture all over both sides. Spread Carrots/Parsnips & onions on bottom of pan with some chicken broth. Season with salt & pepper & sprinkle with olive oil. Looks like this:

Add Pancetta slices to top of roast:

Cook 350 degree oven about an hour 1/2 until meat thermometers says done for pork. Looks like this cooked:

Make Bread salad on the side. Rip day old rosemary load into chunks add to bowl. Then chop onions, basil, celery, tomatoes & add to bread. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar, olive oil and/or your favorite italian dressing. Season with salt/pepper. Stir. Looks like this:

Pork with Rice (can make risotto also, yum!), carrots, parsnips & onions plated:

My vegetarian plate with carrots/parsnips/onions, rice & rosemary salad. Pork plate can be accompanied with rosemary salad also (just not shown). Vegetarian plate:

*Pork recipe adapted from Giada DeLaurentis Pork Recipe.
**NOTE: LEFTOVERS: You can cut up the pork/pancetta leftover & cook in olive oil, adding chicken broth as needed, sauteed minced garlic, broccoli (cauliflower too if you want) & season with salt & pepper. When cooked put this over pasta (I like linguine) & top with shaved fresh parmesan cheese. My whole family loves this & it's SUCH a simple dinner the night after you make a chicken or pork dish! A way to use up the leftovers in a yummy way.

Quick & Yummy Meatloaf Dinner

Tonight I decided to whip up something my family loves. It's simple to put together & I take a few shortcuts to make it a little healthier, while staying super tasty!

First, The potatoes. I buy red potatoes because all I have to do is cut them in half. I cut half the bag in half, put in water. I also add 1/2 bag frozen cauliflower to lighten it up & add a veggie my family doesn't even know is there! I also Add 1 clove of garlic to the water to boil with the potatoes & cauliflower.

I boil these while I'm cooking the green bean, making salad & the meatloaf is in the oven. When they're done (soft when stabbed with knife), I drain them, add some butter or margarine, salt & pepper & skim milk. They're still really tasty, I believe because of that clove of garlic! I also whip them with a beater (with the skins on) less work & more fiber.

Now for the meatloaf recipe. I usually just use "whatever" in the meatloaf & my family LOVES it!!! Tonight, I put a thin coat of garlic mashed sundried tomatoes on the bottom of the pan the meatloaf cooked in. You could also use chutney (mango, pineapple, sundried tomato chutney are some ideas). I mixed the hamburg (about a pound), 1/2 ground onion, 2 eggs, salt & pepper, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup ketchup, 3/4 cup cheese (used cheddar tonight), 1 tbsp mango pineapple jam, 1/3 cup spagetti sauce, about 1-2 (eyeball) cups bread crumbs (seasoned) & a dash of worcestershire sauce! All amounts are approximate, I never measure when cooking. It's a lot of ingredients, but everyone LOVES it! I cook until the top/sides carmelizes in about a 350 degree oven.

Then for the green beans. Wash the green beans. Put olive oil & 1 onion thinly sliced & 2 tbsps of butter in pan. Add 2 tbsps of sugar & cook until the onions carmelize. Add the green beans & 1/4 cup of slivered almonds, a little more butter, salt & pepper to taste & cook until desired softness (I prefer them a little firm).

Then I toss a salad & put all the pieces together on a plate. I'll include two images, one my hubbies place (no salad) & one mine (no meatloaf, I'm a vegetarian). I also made a quick potato soup, so my daughter ate soup, salad & green beans. Some kids just had meatloaf & potatoes, the kids all had variations, a little of everything & everyone was happy!