Chinatown Chicken Salad

{Quite possibly my favorite beach home around here... I took this photo because I adore this color...it makes me happy just looking at it.}

I love spring & summer foods !

After a long winter of soups & pasta, I really look forward to summer salads !

I made one of my favorite summertime salads last night....

Chinatown Chicken Salad { from California Sizzles Cookbook }

1/2 pkg. wonton wrappers

vegetable oil

1 med. head lettuce, shredded ( I use the pre-packaged cabbage/carrot mix )

extra shredded carrots

shredded cooked chicken

1 C. roasted peanuts

3 T. sesame seeds (optional)

2 T. chopped cilantro or to taste

Dressing:

1 t. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. powdered ginger

2 tsp. soy sauce

2 T. sesame oil

1/3 C. veg. oil

1/3 C. rice vinegar

1. Slice wontons into strips and fry in veg . oil until lightly browned. Drain and set aside.

2. Combine lettuce or cabbage mix, chicken, peanuts, sesame seeds and cilantro. Toss with dressing.

3. Add fried wontons before serving.

It's Foodie Friday hosted by the wonderful Designs by Gollum !

Oh, and in case you are wondering, I could probably eat this entire bowl myself in one sitting, it is THAT GOOD !

Penne with Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce

In case you didn't know... I LOVE PASTA !!!!!!

And in case you were wondering, this is my FAVORITE SAUCE !!!!!!!!!! I've been making this for 18 years.

Penne with vodka tomato cream sauce {bon appetit}

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 sm. onion, chopped

1 (28 oz.) can Italian plum tomatoes, drained, seeded, chopped

1 c. whipping cream

1/4 c. vodka

1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper

1 lb. penne pasta (any tubular pasta)

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Minced fresh chives

Melt butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 8 minutes.

Add tomatoes and cook until almost no liquid remains in pan, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes.

Add cream, vodka and red pepper and boil until thickened to sauce consistency, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Sauce can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate).

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Drain well. Transfer to a large bowl. Bring sauce to simmer. Pour over pasta and toss well. Sprinkle with Parmesan and chives and serve. 6 servings.

{It's BLUE MONDAY hosted by the wonderful Smiling Sally !
Also participating in DIY DAY over at A Soft Place to Land. and Outdoor Wednesday hosted by the fantastic A Southern Daydreamer ! }

Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole

"IT'S A KEEPER!".... that's what my boys said when they took a bite.

I love 'make ahead'  recipes for busy, Holiday weekends...

Sausage Breakfast Casserole
 { from Allrecipes.com}


1 pound ground pork sausage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
6 slices white bread, toasted and cut into cubes
8 ounces mild Cheddar cheese, shredded

1.Crumble sausage into a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until evenly brown; drain.

2.In a medium bowl, mix together mustard powder, salt, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 8 hours, or overnight.

3.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

4.Cover, and bake 45 to 60 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake for an additional 30 minutes, or until set.

Oh, and Happy Blue Monday !  Hosted by the wonderful Smiling Sally !

DC

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing" Edmund Burke

So, we kicked off our flip flops, put on city shoes, and drove, and drove, and drove some more...
to stand outside and shake our fists...

If ye love wealth greater than liberty, the tranquility of servitude
greater than the animating contest for freedom, go home from us
in peace. We seek not your counsel, nor your arms. Crouch down
and lick the hand that feeds you; May your chains set lightly upon
you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.
—Samuel Adams
{This photo and the one above it is especially for Blue Monday hosted by the wonderful Smiling Sally !}

{also participating in Outdoor Wednesday over at A Southern Daydreamer }

Pasta Bolognese

Oh Mamma Mia! This is one of my favorite sauces when I want something heavier than a marinara sauce ! As this was simmering on the stove last night, I couldn't believe I let a few months slip by without making this... shame on me !!!!!!!!!!!!

Pasta Bolognese {by Giada De Laurentiis }

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 pound ground chuck beef
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup flat-leaf Italian parsley, chiffonade
8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano ( I use Parmesan Reggiano )


In a 6 quart pot, add extra-virgin olive oil. When almost smoking, add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until the onions become very soft, about 8 minutes. Add the celery and carrot and saute for 5 minutes. Raise heat to high and add the ground beef. Saute, stirring frequently and breaking up any large lumps and cook until meat is no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, parsley and basil and cook over medium low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1/2 hour. Finish bolognese with Pecorino Romano. Check for seasoning.

Serve hot.

{participating in DIY Day over at a soft place to land, and Foodie Friday hosted by the wonderful Designs by Gollum !}

Crustless Mini Quiches

Oh warm, sunny days, how I have missed you ! {Participating in Foodie Friday hosted by the wonderful Designs by Gollum !

Watery Wednesday! & Outdoor Wednesday}

I made these over the weekend. A huge hit. HUGE. They will be included in our Easter buffet!
This is a wonderful base recipe. I'm looking forward to using spinach and other ing to make it my own.

Crustless Mini Quiches {recipe from Barb James in American Profile}

Cooking spray
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
½ cup half-and-half
½ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
2 eggs
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup diced cooked ham, cooked bacon or shrimp ( I used bacon )
¼ cup diced mushrooms
¼ cup finely chopped onion

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 12 standard-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. Combine cheese, half-and-half, mayonnaise, eggs, flour, salt and pepper in a blender. Process until well blended.
3. Fill each cup with about 1 1/2 tablespoons ham and 1 teaspoon each mushrooms and onion. Pour equal amounts of egg mixture over each. Cups will be about half full. Bake 22 minutes, or until quiches are lightly golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Serves 6.

The quiches will be puffy when removed from oven, but deflate rapidly.

P.s.

It's DIY DAY over at a soft place to land.

Let's go for a walk

It's Outdoor Wednesday hosted by A Southern Daydreamer !

Also participating in Watery Wednesday.

San Clemente Potato Casserole

{My crochet stitches are coming along...very slowly !!}

When I lived in California, a very good friend of mine gave me this recipe.
Yesterday I was looking for a side dish to go with a turkey breast I was making for dinner... I wanted something I could make in the morning and heat up later since I had a busy day.

Comforting and delicious !

San Clemente Potato Casserole

6 white rose potatoes ( I used red potatoes )- boil til done
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
1/2 stick melted butter
1/2 C. green onions
1 C. cheddar cheese, grated

Gently peel potato skin away from potatoes.
Shred boiled potatoes in large bowl.
Add in remaining ingredients and mix well.

Transfer to 9 x 13 casserole dish.
Top with more cheese.

Bake at 325 for 45 min.

Participating in DIY Day over at a soft place to land and Foodie Friday hosted by the wonderful Designs by Gollum !

Banana Pudding

My boys grinned from ear to ear when they came home from school and saw what their little sister and mommy had been up to...
A huge favorite in our home....thank you Miss Paula Deen !!

Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding by Paula Deen

2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
6 to 8 bananas, sliced
2 cups milk
1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer.
Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture.

Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended.

Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies.

Refrigerate until ready to serve. Layers and layers of deliciousness !

It's Foodie Friday over at designs by Golllum !

Double Chocolate Cookies

Our church had a bake sale for Haiti and I volunteered to bake.

I love these double chocolate cookies.

They taste like brownies.

Easy. Economical. and taste DIVINE !

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE COOKIES {Southern Living 20th anniversary Annual recipes cookbook}

1 (18.25 oz.) Package Betty Crocker Devils Food Cake mix WITH PUDDING! (88 cents at Walmart!)

1/2 C. vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 C. (6 oz ) chocolate chips

1. Combine first 3 ing. and beat at medium speed with mixer until blended.

Stir in chocolate chips.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool on cookie sheets 5 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

It's DIY day over at A soft place to land & Foodie Friday over at designs by Gollum !

It's snowing at the beach...

All time favorite at the Cozy Kitchen

My family continually says this is their all time favorite dish.

If you like blue cheese, this is for YOU!

Simple. Fabulous. {My favorite combo !}

Roquefort Chicken (from 6 ing. or Less cookbook)

boneless chicken breasts (4-6)

salt & pepper

1/4 C. butter

4 oz. roquefort or blue cheese {I use blue cheese}

1 garlic clove, sliced {I use 2-3, because I love garlic!}

1 C. sour cream

Salt & pepper chicken if you like.

Heat butter in skillet. Lightly brown chicken, remove.

In same skillet, add blue cheese, garlic and sour cream.

Heat, but do not boil.

Place chicken in 9 x 13 baking dish, and pour sauce over top.

Bake at 350 for 45 min, or until tender.

I love to serve this with rice. We even drizzle the sauce over our rice.

It's a perfect combo with the fabulous sauce !!!

Participating in Foodie Friday over at Designs by Gollum !

Seven Layer Taco Dip

This. is. AMAZING!
I like to serve it with "Tostitos Scoops" .
When I want more of a 'meal', I warm flour tortillas, and fill it with this.
YUM !
Everyone LOVES this !
I love that you can make this ahead...
and it's awesome the next day too !

Seven Layer Taco Dip { adapted from allrecipes }

1 (1 ounce) package taco seasoning mix
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 large tomato, chopped
**sliced jalapeno peppers in jar (as many as you like * my own addition )
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch chopped green onions
1 small head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 (6 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1.In a medium bowl, blend the taco seasoning mix and refried beans. Spread the mixture onto a large serving platter.
2.Mix the sour cream and cream cheese in a medium bowl. Spread over the refried beans.
3.Top the layers with salsa. Place a layer of tomato, green bell pepper, green onions, jalapenos, and lettuce over the salsa, and top with Cheddar cheese. Garnish with black olives.

Oh, and it's Foodie Friday over at Designs by Gollum

l o v e

great grandchildren: a grandchild of one's son or daughter

{ my nephews & brother in law }

3 sisters laid to rest their mom & dad. my grandparents...

together... as they wished...

Every single grandchild came. 16... From coast to coast, we came together.

Some of us had not seen each other in 30 years.

Time stood still.

Tears.

Lots of tears.

Tears of gratitude.

Tears of love.

love: a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person

Bob & Margaret

3 daughters

16 grandchildren

25 great grandchildren

married 69 years.

died 72 days apart.

It's Outdoor Wednesday hosted by a southern daydreamer