Ok, I'm going to try and be a good little blogger for my editor and be more consistent in my blogging schedule. Going over a month between blogs is really unacceptable... Bad me.

So, in the spirit of my blog title, here's a recipe in true "grandma" fashion... Tuna "this-'n-that" Casserole.

The Ingredients:
Shell noodles (I usually use about half a pound bag of medium or small size, not the honkin huge ones, for this recipe)
One or two cans chunk tuna in water, drained
Ranch dressing
Cottage Cheese
Grated Cheese
Powdered Parmesan Cheese
Leftover dairy you want to use up (except milk)

Start a pan with enough water to cook the amount of noodles you want in the casserole. When it's boiling, toss in a bit of salt and cook the shell pasta according to package directions.

In a large casserole dish (1.5 qt or more) scoop out the tuna and smash it up so it won't overwhelm any one bite. Squirt about a 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of ranch dressing in. Put a couple spoonfuls of cottage cheese (probably not more than 1/2 of a 1.5 lb container). Add a fistful of grated cheese (I prefer yellow cheese, and definitely don't like mozzarella in this one) and about 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Mix all this together.

*You can add the last of your nearly-empty sour cream container, or the last crumbles of feta cheese...whatever you want to finish up before it gets lost in the back of your fridge because "it's not enough for a serving," using good judgment of course (for example: I doubt you'd taste a bit of strawberry yogurt in all that ranchy cheesy goodness but the idea of it being in there would turn a stomach, so I wouldn't suggest using something like THAT). This recipe is like the meatloaf of the diary world-use it to clean up the odds and ends.*

Once you stir in the shell noodles (softly so you don't break them up), top it with a bit more cheese. It's all to-taste, so if you need a cheese fix, what the hey, go crazy. Put the casserole in the oven on 350 degrees until it's warm through and the top is starting to turn brown (you can broil it for a teensy bit of time if you watch it carefully and only let it brown-do not burn it!). We like to serve it with a side of peas, or asparagus if we're going fancy.

Like I said, it's a recipe to taste, so adjust the flavors as you like. I really like the ranch flavor to counteract the tuna since I'm not a fish-loving person. Let me know what you think if you try it! Happy eating!

It's been a while folks, but I'm back with another super easy --and this time flourless-- cookie recipe.

I found this one in the February/March issue of Taste of Home on page 86 in their interview with Miranda Lambert. For those going gluten free, as long as your vanilla extract is pure (check the label) this cookie should work for you too.

Ingredients:
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Miranda says to "combine, roll into golf balls, crisscross with a fork and bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees." It's that simple, and they taste amazing. Without the flour, the cookies stay a bit softer than normal and make for a pretty irresistable treat.

My husband likes no chunks in his peanut butter, so we had them with creamy instead and those were great.

This one has a lot of vegetables, but comes with enough spicy meat that when you serve it with cheese and crackers or bread, you can make a filling meal with this great hearty soup.

I had some breakfast sausage I didn't want to use as such, so I checked online and came across this recipe on allrecipes.com by Behr. My substitute worked pretty well, but here is the original for anyone so inclined.

Note the LARGE stock pot... it is definitely a big-quantity recipe. The original recipe says it serves 6.

The Ingredients:

My sister-in-law, friend and I went to Moberly in 2010 to my first Taste of Home Cooking School. I'm SO glad they talked me into going because we had SO much fun together, I ACTUALLY WON A DOOR PRIZE (a cute little quilt), and I got hooked on a lot of the recipes I discovered that night, one of which is Beef Burgundy...

(From the Taste of Home Cooking School Magazine DU: Nov 15, 2010 page 16)

The Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound whole fresh mushrooms, halved
4 medium carrots, chopped
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed golden mushroom soup, undiluted
1 large onion, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup Burgundy wine or beef broth
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Hot cooked egg noodles

"In a 5 qt. slow cooker, combine the first 10 ingredients." I put the ingredients together in a container the night before to make it easy to dump it all in the crock in the morning.

Funny story... the night I shopped for these ingredients, it didn't register to me that tapioca is mostly associated with pudding and the quick-cooking kind (read: unprepared) would probably be stocked somewhere near there. By the time all the shelf-stockers and I realized that, everyone in the store that night knew where the tapioca was.

Anyway, back to cooking...

"Cover and cook on low for 5-1/2 to 6 1/2 hours or until meat is tender." I put mine in on low before work and it was ready to go by the time I got home. I'd also recommend spraying the sides or using a crock pot liner because the tapioca makes the sauce gel-like and it sticks. (I didn't like the effect-the consistency was too gelled for me. I think I'd just add a corn starch thickener before I serve it next time, as long as it was boiling, because we all know corn starch won't thicken otherwise).

"Serve with noodles." It only takes a little while to cook egg noodles, so it's still a short time from stovetop to table. I liked it best with peas on the side, and it was a really easy, classy meal to have on a busy night, so definitely give it a try sometime.

This has become a staple in our house because it tastes SO good. I owe it all to the Macon Chronicle-Herald Lifestyle section, where I first saw this recipe presented by Saimi Bergman. Click the link for all the great additional info included by Bergman. And the best part? The "dinner for a dollar" part. Yes, that's right, a dollar.

I modified this recipe a bit for the two of us, but I'll start with the original ingredients and we'll go from there.

The Ingredients:

4 chicken thighs
1 chicken breast
2 onions, sliced
6 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 (28-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 cup wine
1 teaspoon oregano

(from here on out, it's what I do with the recipe. If you'd like to prepare it like Bergman, feel free, but obviously I'm partial to my tweaks, and this is MY blog...) :o)

I'd add - enough boiling water to cook some rice to serve it on, and get it started early if you're not using the quickie kind. Brown rice is GREAT, but it takes 30-35 minutes to cook so start it first!

If I'm in a pinch, I use canned chicken that is pre-cooked (just drain it) or if you're wanting to use leftover chicken, go ahead, just toss it in after the veggies are cooked. Otherwise, I use a couple chicken breasts and fry them on each side in a bit of vegetable oil until lightly golden and mostly cooked through, but not dry. Set them aside, and toss in the onions (I prefer chunky-diced) and add some more oil if needed (not much) and cook until translucent, stirring as much as needed.

MMM... a skillet full of onions browning smells amazing

While the chicken and onions are cooking, prep the vegetables. Wash the mushrooms well. I use a whole 8 ounce container, because I don't want to keep track of two extra ounces of mushrooms (although the husband might enjoy a mushroom and cheese omelet some morning...hmm, there's an idea). I pick the mushrooms out and give to Husband, but I like the flavor it adds, even though I'm NOT a mushroom fan. It works because he is. If everyone eating the dish detests mushrooms, you could probably leave them out, but I'd encourage you to give it a shot just because you never know what you might like unless you try it once in a while.

When you're chopping the pepper, if you don't already have an efficient way to contain the seeds or are a pepper-newbie, read and learn: wash the pepper first. With a paring knife, cut into the pepper along each of the creases from the top to the bottom. Set the knife down and grip the pepper like you're doing the bridge shuffling cards. Break the top loose from the stem and pull away, leaving the seeds intact on the core inside. After you've removed all the sections, trim the white membranes with the knife and toss all the waste in the compost.

The membranes aren't trimmed off yet, but the seeds are all contained on the stem!

(During the summer when peppers are incredibly cheap I buy them in bulk, prepare like above, and lay them on a cookie sheet to flash freeze in the freezer. When they're frosty, I toss them all into a freezer bag and pull out when I need some to cook with)

Anyway, when the onions for your Cacciatore are cooked, add the mushrooms, peppers and garlic (I buy it in a jar, pre-minced). Cook until peppers are softening and mushrooms are darkening, still stirring occasionally. Then add the wine. The first time I made this, I had white cooking wine with lemon on hand, so I used that. Over the MANY times I've made this recipe, I've always preferred that wine to any others I tried. If you have plain white, you can toss in a bit of lemon extract (1 teaspoon-ish) if you'd like to try it.

Let it all cook down a bit (3 minutes or so) then it's time for the tomatoes. I really like the garlic and olive oil canned tomatoes, and because I usually make a smaller batch, the standard 14.5 oz can is just fine. If you use seasoned tomatoes, you can probably skip the extra oregano. Put the chicken back in and cook it all down until the flavors have melded. Serve it over rice (I haven't ever used anything else...It just works so well together!) and ENJOY!

Chicken Cacciatore on white rice

Here's a fun little game. I was gifted a crock full of older utensils from my Oma (German grandma) a while back, and while I knew what most were, a few of them seemed a mystery to me. I figured I'd share some pictures and see what use they've been to all of you.

Name that Utensil!

Exhibit A

What is it? What has it been used for? What era is it from?

Don't laugh, because even toothpicks double for other things like log cabin and marshmallow molecule school projects. I'm interested in seeing what you have to say, or if you're undecided as well.

Post a comment below with your appropriate insights. :o)

For our New Year's Eve party this year, I brought chocolate dipped pretzels (cattails) and fancied them up a bit to make them festive.

Cattails

The Ingredients:

a bag of pretzel rods
4 blocks of chocolate almond bark
2 blocks of white almond bark, separated

First, lay out two long strips of parchment or waxed paper.

Take a tall, skinny, microwave-safe glass and melt the chocolate bark in the microwave according to package directions. When it's completely smooth, using a mitt or thick hand towel, remove the glass and bring it to the table where you're working.

One at a time, dip the pretzels into the chocolate, twisting as you bring it back out to remove some of the excess chocolate. Lay each one on the paper and allow to cool. I made the whole bag, and it got me though the party with some extras to enjoy in the days afterward.

In a small, microwave-safe dish, melt one of the white bricks until smooth. Put it all into a plastic, zipper-sealed bag and snip a VERY small piece off one corner of the bag. Wrap the bag with a small towel to protect from the heat and gently squeeze a zig-zag pattern across the top of each of the chocolate covered pretzels. If you run out of white bark, or it cools off too quickly, make a new bag and continue. Allow them to cool, and then package them carefully on a platter and seal air-tight until ready to eat.

The little ones were cute for the kiddos

Obviously, you don't have to put the date on the "handle" like I did. Any decoration you choose is fine for the occasion, but the simple dark and white stripes is a pretty festive look on its own.

For lunch today, we were in a bit of a rush, so I decided to make an easy lunch I CRAVED through at least two years of college: the Chicken Bacon Ranch Wrap.

The inner workings of my delicious lunch

The Ingredients (per wrap):
1-2 strips of cooked bacon
1-2 chicken tender strips
up to 1/4 cup red cooking wine (divided)
1 leaf of green lettuce (washed and spine removed)
2 Tablespoons ranch flavored dressing
1 small flour tortilla (fajita size is best)
 

Cook the bacon in a small skillet according to package directions, then set aside.

Put the chicken tenders in the skillet with half the red wine and cook on medium high until most of the liquid is gone from the pan, then turn and add the remaining wine and cook until done.

This splatter screen is amazing. It was my New Year's gift to ME, and someone neglected to use it for the bacon, but at least the chicken splatters stayed off the stovetop.

While you're waiting on the chicken, put the tortilla on a plate and top with lettuce, bacon and ranch dressing. When the chicken is cooked, add to the wrap (either whole or diced up), and it's ready to go in about 20 minutes!

Variations:

If you're making one for someone who wants a little more substance, you can double the recommended ingredients and stuff it all into a large burrito shell. If you prefer cheese (like my husband) you can add some grated cheese to the wrap, or have slices available on the side, and if you like it a little more fancy you can add some feta crumbles. You can add chopped tomatoes or sliced black olives to the wrap if you like a little more garden. My mom will sometimes use leftover baked chicken cut in strips and warmed in the skillet for a crunchier texture. If you're in the mood for buffalo chicken wraps, you can substitute the wine for buffalo chicken sauce and the ranch for bleu cheese dressing and you've got a great game-day snack.

It's such a versatile but satisfying meal for times when you need a bite in a hurry.

My first blog post...Yay! For my first recipe, I'd like to introduce you to Cake Mix Cookies. I wish there was a fancier name for such a lifesaving dessert recipe, but alas, the humble name does describe exactly what the product is.

(Here is where I would add an artful picture of the cookies delicately piled high on a lovely platter, but by this morning they've all been consumed except for two crumbly ones in a sack that I intend to have for breakfast, so please take my word for it: they're incredible)

The Ingredients:

1 Box of Cake Mix (any flavor)
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Oil
1 Tablespoon Water

My little sister prefers the mix with sprinkles, and my mom prefers butter pecan. For the cookies I made Thursday night, I used German chocolate.

The Directions:

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F.

Mix everything together in a large bowl until most of the dry mix is wet. If you prefer a cookie filled with extra goodness at this point, you can now add any extras you think might taste good. With my German chocolate, I added a cup of chips (peanut butter and chocolate) and two Tablespoons of peanut butter (more than that would probably have made my cookies WAY too crumbly). Stir those in if you chose to supplement.

Drop them on a sprayed or no stick cookie sheet. I used a handy little cookie scooper that made them all uniform, but a soup spoon works just as well. Mine didn't run together, and they made about 2 dozen that way, so I only had to put two pans through. The sprinkle kind my sister likes spreads a lot more, so space those accordingly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the tops have cracked and they smell delicous. Let them cool on a rack or break them loose on the sheet, and when they're cool enough to touch, they're ready to serve.

My mom has had this as a go-to recipe for as long as I can remember. They're so fast and cheap (a box of cake mix on sale is usually a dollar or less, eggs are super cheap, oil is bulk and water is readily available from the tap) and SO yummy, that they made my Tried and True Recipe #1.

Please let me know what you think if you try them!

The image of that cozy German-esque cottage embodies everything I want this blog to be. I want to share recipes grandmothers would have been happy to teach over the course of a lazy childhood afternoon. I'm no kitchen expert, just a girl who treasures her food heritage, occasionally mixing in new favorites. Welcoming an unfamiliar recipe is a leap of faith, and when good ones are found, they should be shared and cherished among friends like the tried and true ones that can take you back to your childhood.